Jesus said to search the scriptures for they testify of me. When he said that he was talking about the Old Testament and when you read the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus Christ there is a mile of blessings to be found…
Listen To Jesus In The Old Testament Sermon
Search The Scriptures They Testify Of Me
Jesus speaking here, he says.
- Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (Jn 5:39)
Jesus is speaking to the Jews at the time, spiritual leaders?
Search the scriptures… From there, you are going to get the answers to eternal life.
But it’s the scriptures that testify of Jesus Christ. And when he’s talking about the scriptures he is not talking about the New Testament. It didn’t exist at this time.
He talking about the Old Testament.
Search the Old Testament. It will testify of Jesus Christ.
You know, I guess you could say modern Christianity to a great degree is totally ignoring the Old Testament in this day and age.
When really it’s our foundation.
Really, it’s our beginning.
I’m of the belief that you could go to any page in the Old Testament and make a case for Jesus Christ.
There’s symbolism in them, types, and shadows that point to and talk about Jesus Christ. So here he is. He’s talking to these religious leaders of the day.
Go to those very scriptures that you rely on… because they didn’t believe him. The same people don’t believe he’s the Messiah to this day.
They didn’t believe him yet the very scriptures that they boast about are testifying of him.
So let’s have a look at a couple of those scriptures. Let’s start off by going back to the book of Zachariah in the Old Testament…
30 Pieces Of Silver
- And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. (Zech 11:12-13)
All these things that we are reading today in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. We see here the mention of 30 pieces of silver and we read that 30 pieces of silver would be chucked to the Potter.
Look Upon Him Whom They Have Pierced
- And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech 12:10)
So we see here that someone is going to be pierced. We will read about that fulfillment shortly but let’s touch on the other part of that prophecy.
- There I will pour out upon the House of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication.
The fulfillment of that was on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when God poured out the spirit of Grace.
Every time someone gets filled with the Holy Spirit it just blows me away. It’s a marvelous thing.
It’s proving. It’s evidence of… it’s a witness of… it’s a testimony to… is testifying that Jesus Christ is still alive today.
While in the same book, let’s just pick out a few more things before we move on…
Smite The Shepherd And The Sheep Shall Be Scattered
- Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (Zech 13:7)
That would make a good tongue twister… my sheep shall be scattered despite the Shepherd.
But Jesus Christ is the Shepherd. He’s the Chief Shepherd.
Where is he?
He’s looking out for us. He’s leading us into pastures.
We read here about the Shepherd being smitten and the sheep being scattered.
Let’s have a look at some of those things being fulfilled in Matthew Chapters 26 and 27…
The Fulfillments
Again, we’re just going to pick the odds out of the story. There are so many other things that we could find that were fulfilled other than the ones I’m mentioning today.
These are just to give us a taste.
That the scriptures (Old Testament) testify of Jesus. You know when it boils down to it we really are spoiled rotten because we have got the New Testament as well.
So basically we have been given the interpretation handed to us on a silver platter.
The New Testament, the work of the apostles, and the subsequent persecution and death of many who have gone before us, and here we have it. The New Testament explaining many of these things to us.
30 Pieces Of Silver:
- Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. (Mt 26:14-16)
Yeah, what an amazing thing.
Get this… the scripture that was written back in Zechariah so many thousands of years prior quoted the exact price that Jesus would be betrayed for.
When you think about man’s wisdom.
Here is somebody, Jesus Christ, the son of God, who has the answers to life, who can bring Salvation for all, and he’s valued at just 30 pieces of silver.
Mankind is so far removed from the spiritual realm that they can only think of natural things.
30 pieces of silver exactly as quoted before.
- Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. (Mt 27:3-4)
A compassionate mob wasn’t they?
This is what it is like to give in to peer pressure. To betray your values so that other people might like you and you fit in with the crowd. At the end of the day, you would have betrayed everything you hold dear for people who will still turn on you in the end.
This can be a little example here to us because if we pursue carnal things and material things. It just does not bring satisfaction.
I’m sure Judas at the time thought fantastic 30 pieces of silver. His eyes lit up… this will change my life. This will set me up, but at the end of the day, money means nothing.
Money doesn’t bring satisfaction. He found himself at the point where he’s just so distraught over what he has done.
And he wanted to return the money and those to whom he sold out to just couldn’t care less.
- And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Mt 27:5)
Potters Field:
- And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Mt 27:6-8)
It is unbelievable how mankind can justify their religion. They refused to take the money back because it was unlawful yet it was the same money they used to help get someone murdered.
So they purchased a potter’s field to bury strangers in. Gave themselves a massive pat on the back for turning blood money into a good deed.
- Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet saying, and they took the 30 pieces of silver. The price of him that was valued. Whom are they children of Israel devalue and gave them for the Potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. (Mt 27:9-10)
And all that is prophesied in the Old Testament… Amazing.
Some skeptics say Jesus came along and he played on the Scriptures. He was a con man. The things he did and the things he said he knew in the scripture, so he just made out they applied to him.
But here are the Jews who didn’t believe in Jesus. Here are the religious leaders who didn’t believe in him, who didn’t believe he was the Messiah Jesus.
He could not have possibly controlled their decision making. They decided to pay someone 30 pieces of silver not him, they fulfill the prophecy and they purchased the Potters field.
You with me? No one could orchestrate that. The very people who don’t believe did the things the Scripture said.
God just confirmed these words in so many ways.
These people who reckon they knew the scriptures. I mean, if you wanted to, they weren’t even smart enough to hide their tracks and pay 29 pieces of silver or by some other field.
It was in God’s word. God declared it and they fulfilled it. They paid 30 pieces of silver. It was blood money and they brought a Potters field with it. Fulfilling scripture themselves.
Smite The Shepherd:
- But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. (Mt 26:56)
When he was betrayed, they came to him. He was taken as a prisoner. It was a scary time, and all of the disciples bolted. I’ll smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
Again, the fulfillment of scripture here as all the disciples left him.
Do we leave the Lord in hard times?
It’s a dumb move because it’s not going to get any easier elsewhere.
When the chips are down, do we run and hide? Do we scatter? Or do we stick with the Lord?
I’m not in no shape or form belittling the disciples because I’m absolutely positive if any of us were there the same thing would have happened because the scripture would have been fulfilled.
Smite the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter. We all would have scattered. We all would have done the same thing.
You can’t boast against the word of God. The word of God says something is going to happen then it is going to happen.
And here it was written in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the new.
Jesus Christ fulfills all the scriptures – He didn’t come to destroy the Old Testament (the law) but to fulfill it. Jesus fulfilled everything.
He went to the cross and he said it is finished. It is finished. He’s completed the task. He fulfilled the prophecies.
He Gave His Back To The Smiters
- I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Is 50:6)
I’ve given talks before about how I can’t stand being spat on. I’d rather hair pulled out my cheek than have some filthy animal to spit on me.
He’s Jesus, the son of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
Being spat on.
It’s just beyond comprehension what we read sometimes in the New Testament as it doesn’t give the full horror picture of what happened to him leading up to that day on the cross.
They plucked out the hairs on his cheek. I mean just imagine a whole face full of your hair being ripped out.
That’s what he went through. He gave his back to the smiters, you know mankind was so clever.
It says you know they smote him across the cheek. They were punching him in the mouth… in the cheek.
They had him blindfolded while punching him. Saying… Come on, prophesy who hit you? Come on, that’s what they’re doing.
You are supposed to know everything so prophesy… who hit you.
These are the things he went through. Mankind hasn’t changed very much over the years I’m afraid to say.
He Is Despised And Rejected Of Men
Let’s go over Chapter 53.
- Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (Is 53:1-2)
Jesus Christ, it is talking about here. A normal average, every day looking person. It was nothing like… Yeah look, look how striking he is.
He didn’t walk past and there’s this huge glow radiating from him and giving people the queue that he is the one. He was just a normal-looking person.
And you and I are just normal looking people.
Sometimes we think we’re not good enough. Oh, if only I was three inches taller. If only I was 500 inches thinner… if only I was better looking. If only I was younger, if only I was older and had more wisdom. If only this or only that then I could be better.
That’s not the case.
Jesus didn’t stand out in the crowd, it doesn’t go on your looks. I quite often think of Jonah turning up into the city of Nineveh after being spat out of a while. With Slime… I mean he just got spat out of a whale after being in its belly for three days.
Not very good. You wouldn’t smell very good. You wouldn’t look too good. Your clothes would have been tattered. Didn’t stop him from bringing about results by preaching the word.
Nothing to do with our looks. Jesus didn’t stand out from the crowd in the looks department. It’s the word of God that will take effect. So we put all those things aside and just preach the word.
So Jesus is nothing to look upon.
- He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
I never forget watching a movie, I can’t remember what it was but in this movie it had this guy hiding behind the corner watching Jesus getting flogged. The strips of the flesh are coming off his back. Watching him get flogged.
And then a lightbulb moment. With his stripes, we are healed. And just the way it was depicted was like… Wow!
Now we need to have that lightbulb moment with his stripes he’s taking on our pain. He’s taking on himself our griefs.
He is the answer for us
- All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Is 53:6)
Have you ever gone through life thinking you’ve gotta carry these burdens?
In your workplace, you might have these burdens. Maybe just supporting your family you feel like you’ve got the weight of the world on you sometimes.
Jesus did have the weight of the world on him. Literally he bore the iniquity of us all.
- He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Is 53:7-8)
Jesus fulfilled this. He was imprisoned. Remember that they came out and it was put to the crowd who would you rather have, Jesus or Barabbas?
He was taken out of prison and taken to the judgment… he was put on a cross.
That fulfills the 70 weeks prophecy by the way… the Prince should be cut off, he shall save many.
- And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Is 53:9-10)
The promise was given to Abraham. Through your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Paul in the New Testament explained it better. He didn’t say seeds. He said seed and that seed is Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
- He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Is 53:11)
Sometimes you feel like you’ve been in the Lord for a long time and accomplished not much but what is there to accomplish?
Jesus has done at all for us, He bore our iniquities. He did it. He did it.
Yeah, sometimes we like to think that we can do stuff… but he did it.
We need to be content in the Lord.
I’m sure we still want to accomplish things but I can’t think of anything better to accomplish then introducing people to Jesus Christ. I just can’t think of anything better.
And you can do that in two ways by going out there, witnessing and by being here week in week out.
By being consistent. By being faithful. By being in that boat.
You may have fished all night and caught nothing but the day will come when you cast the net out on the other side and bring in a huge catch.
It’s not going to happen if you leave the Boat.
- Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Is 53:12)
Just have a look at some of these things fulfilled.
- And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. (Mt 27:12-14)
He kept his silence as we read in the book of Isaiah. As a sheep led to the slaughter he was dumb. He didn’t speak.
He didn’t jump up and down. This isn’t right. I’ve done nothing wrong. He kept his silence. He fulfilled the scripture.
Scripture testified of him.
- Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
- And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Mt 27:26-31)
He was mocked. He was smitten. He was belted. All fulfillment of the scriptures there. He was wounded and bruised for our transgressions.
We can look at disdain at those people there. The soldiers or the Jews or whoever was giving him the beating however they were just representing all of us.
It was our sin that was giving him the beating. That’s personal. We all had a role to play in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When you sit there… if you can picture it in your mind him being belted. With a whip. Absolutely belted. That was our sin that was controlling that whip.
He took our sin upon himself. Let’s not take it back. He dealt with our sin on the cross. He nailed it upon the cross. He has dealt with our sin.
Let’s not take it back.
- When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Mt 27:57-60)
There were thieves on the cross either side of him. Two thieves. He died with the wicked and it said he was buried with the rich. He was buried in the rich man’s tomb.
I mean… If you wanted to calculate the odds of all these things just happening, it would be astronomical.
Impossible for these things just to happen. And we have only read a few things on the Old Testament that testify of Jesus. There’s a heap more we’re not gonna have time for today.
All these things. Jesus fulfilled. All these things were written in the Old Testament.
Let’s quickly just have a look at a couple more…
My God, my God, why is there forsaken me?
- My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (Ps 22:1)
- All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. (Ps 22:7-8)
He’s dying on the cross. If ever there was a time to show pity on somebody it is when they’re dying in agony, on a cross, but they are shaking their heads at him, where are your miracles now, are you still trusting your God? Let see if his God delivers him.
It describes them as shooting out the lip. I don’t think there’s a better terminology you could use for that. This is what Jesus went through for us.
I can’t help but remember what the Lord said… Forgive them, they know not what they do.
Do we get cranky? Sometimes we’ve been picked on and people give us a hard time.
It all pales into insignificance when you see what the Lord went through. And he said, Father forgive them, they know not what they do.
- For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (Ps 22:16-18)
This is the stuff that was revealed to King David in his day. It’s written before all these things took place. Jesus could tell his bones. They parted his garments and they cast lots for them. They pierced His hands and his feet.
Everything that was written, search the scriptures, they speak of me, Jesus said.
- And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mt 27:46)
- And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. (Mt 27:39-44)
This fulfilled what was written in the book of Psalms. These people fulfilled prophecy themselves, they were the ones gnashing their teeth at him, they were the ones mocking him as the scriptures said they would do.
Jesus had to do what he did to save mankind… despite ourselves.
You and I have got to withstand anyone treating us cruelly, anyone mocking us… despite themselves.
You and I know better… they don’t.
We read in the New Testament that there is no other name given unto men whereby we must be saved. Search the Old Testament and you will see him identified there as well.
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