Category: Newsletter

Introduction

Jesus said unto His disciples: “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luk 24:44). Here, the testimony of the Psalms about the Messiah is presented.

His Resurrection in Psalms

“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand, there are pleasures for evermore” (Psa 16:9-11).

The Psalmist mentioned that God would not cause his body to decay in the grave, but it should be understood that he was speaking prophetically about the Messiah and not about himself. In his sermon, on the day of Pentecost, Peter made reference to the above scripture and said that David is both dead and buried and his body remains in the grave until now. David, being a Prophet, knew that God had sworn an oath to him that out of his descendant shall the Messiah be raised to sit on his throne. David, therefore, spoke of the resurrection of Christ (Psa 2:23-32).

Paul also cited the same Psalms and preached that David fell asleep and having been laid unto his fathers, decayed but the One God raised again, that is the Christ, did not decay. It is through this man that forgiveness of sin is received (Acts 13:38).

Prophecy Fulfilled

It is recorded in the scriptures, that, Christ died and rose again as prophesied in the Old Testament. It is read that on the first day of the week, it was found that the stone covering the tomb where Christ was laid, was rolled away from the sepulchre. When they entered in, the body of Christ was not found in the tomb. The disciples were much perplexed at the scene as they saw the angels of God in shining garments. It was found out that Christ had risen and that the tomb was empty. This was the affirmation of the scripture that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, be crucified and rose again on the third day  (Luk 24:1-7, Mk 16:1-7, Joh 20:1-15). The resurrection of Christ is linked to that of the believers. As Paul contends,” if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Rom 6:5).

Resurrection of Saints

Daniel prophesied about the resurrection of the dead and said:

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Dan 12:2-4).

Paul quizzes: if Christ is preached that He rose from the dead, why do some say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Again, if Christ was not raised from the dead, then our preaching is vain, and that our faith is also useless and we remain sinners (1Co 15:12-17). He adds that if our hope ends only in this world, then we are of all men the most miserable (1Co 15:19).

Conclusion

The resurrection of Christ offers hope for Christians, that, their bodies would not be left in the grave forever. They would resurrect to see Christ when He appears the second time. That would be a day of joy for those who truly believed in Christ but a moment of sorrow for those who vehemently rejected His grace.

Prayer: May the Lord God be gracious to us and cause us to live lives that are worthy of His Children. In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. AMEN!

 

Introduction

The presentation of the prophesies given by the prophets of God in the Old Testament about the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is continued in this piece of writing. Here, the prophecy that Christ would die with the wicked is detailed.

Died with the Wicked

“He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off from the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 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” (Isa 53:8-10).

Isaiah speaks of the death of Christ Jesus on the cross. He mentions that the Son of God would die with the wicked. This is spoken of as having been fulfilled in the Gospel according to St Luke, where it is written that, there were two other malefactors who were led to be crucified with Him at Calvary. One of them was on His right hand and the other on the left (Luk 23:32-33). This is a fulfillment of scripture. What need is there for Christ to die with sinners?

Dying for the Ungodly

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:6-8).

Jesus, dying with the wicked, is an indication that He is a friend to sinners and that he came to them as it is written about Him, that, He eats and drinks with publicans and sinners (Mk 2:16). He also welcomes sinners and eats with them (Luk 15:2). It has been recorded that one of the malefactors who was hanged with Jesus railed on Him, but the other, recognizing his sins, rebuked him. He asked Jesus to remember him when He enters His Kingdom of which Jesus answered in affirmative (Luk 23:39-43). Jesus has declared that He will have mercy because He has not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Mat 9:13, Mk 2:17, Luk 5:32).

Everyone at any stage of life, except the dead, has the opportunity to receive salvation if s/he would recognize their sins and accept Christ as their Savior. At the point of dying, little did we know that one still has a chance for him or her to receive Christ into their hearts. It is, therefore not too late to welcome Christ into your life. The soul of Christ was made an offering for sin, so He invites all sinners to come to His saving knowledge.

Conclusions

As testified by Prophet Isaiah, Christ Jesus was crucified with sinners. He offered His life as a sacrifice for their salvation, so He is the lover of sinners. He invites all persons both the good and the sinner to come to Him.

Prayer

May the Lord Jesus Christ give us the heart to be merciful to sinners and receive them as He would, rather than being judgmental and condemning them. AMEN!