Preschool
For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
Christ Fulfills Prophecy
Memory Verses
Primary
For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
Junior
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28
Background Scripture: Zechariah 9; 11; 13
Lesson Scripture: Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:6-9; Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 27:3-7; Zechariah 13:6; John 20:26-27
Introduction
Prophecy was given for several reasons. Because Christ fulfilled all the messianic prophecies, we know that Jesus is divine, the Son of God. It also proves the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. As we accept that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we can rest in his love and care. Finally, we can be assured that God will keep his promises concerning the future, just as He did in the past. Prophecy brings hope and gives direction. To interpret prophecy and understand its fulfillment cannot be a mark of man’s wisdom; rather, it is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit teaching us the truth as it is in Jesus.
Key Verse
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil (Matt. 5:17).
Lesson Scripture
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Matthew 21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Zechariah 11:12 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.
13 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.
Matthew 27:3 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,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 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.
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Studying the Lesson
The Old Testament, with its many characters and narratives, is interwoven with prophecy concerning Christ. The first one is found in Genesis 3:15. When God told Adam that the woman’s seed would bruise the serpent’s head, it revealed how Jesus would come and triumph over Satan. The writings of the major and minor prophets have references to the coming kingdom of Christ. Men who are not often thought of as prophets, such as Jacob, Job, Moses, and David, made statements of messianic prophecy. Types and figures point to Christ, such as Abraham sacrificing his son on the mountain, uttering the prophecy that God would provide Himself a lamb. The sacrificial laws given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai are fulfilled in Jesus as the Lamb of God. The scarlet thread bound in the window by Rahab was a token of her redemption just as Christ is the scarlet thread that runs through the Scriptures and is our only hope of redemption.
Some New Testament verses are better understood in connection with Old Testament prophecy. The question to John the Baptist in John 1:21, asking him if he was “that prophet,” refers to Moses’s statement in Deuteronomy 18:15: “a Prophet . . . like unto me.” Jesus’s frequent reference to Himself as “the Son of man” hearkens to Daniel 7:13, a connection that his listeners could not miss.
The three prophecies and their fulfillment under study today bring out unique elements of Jesus’s nature. In the first, Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem showed his kingship and humility simultaneously. Although signs were important to the Jewish people in Jesus’s time, how many perceived the fulfillment of this prophecy? People wonder why God does not often show up in a powerful way in the circumstances of our day, but we should remember that though God reigns as King, He spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice.
The second prophecy portrays Jesus’s life being exchanged for money. Judas, one of Jesus’s close associates, was an accomplice in the scheme. Could this be prophetic of the temptation we face today to trade a relationship with Jesus for the vain things of this world? How sad to think it was no stranger but one who walked with Jesus and greeted Him with a kiss of betrayal in the garden. May we not trade that which God has committed to us for that which the world has to offer, be it a life of ease, worldly gain, popularity, offense, or false doctrine.
The third prophecy concerns the wounds Jesus received. Thomas felt Jesus’s wounds as a remedy for his unbelief. The plan of salvation involved the Creator of the world taking human flesh upon Himself and being wounded and killed by the hands of his creation. As we encounter wounded, broken humanity and relate the story of Jesus being hurt by those whom He came to save, it may touch a chord in someone’s unbelieving heart. Despite hiding behind a rough exterior, a person’s heart can melt when he comprehends the broken spirit of the One who carried his sins to the cross. Repentance restores the joy of God’s salvation.
Practical Truths for Today
It is helpful to realize the trajectory of messianic prophecy as it was given, studied, canonized, and eventually fulfilled. We see a divine imprint within the historical context of Old Testament prophecies. In a shadowy foresight, prophecy pointed toward the truth that would become a reality in the future. Even though messianic prophecy may appear clear to us, we should not judge those too harshly who watched it unfold before understanding it. We have the benefit of hindsight. After Pentecost, the disciples realized they were eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty. Peter described it as a light illuminating in a dark place, a sunrise, a morning star shining in its splendor (2 Pet. 1:16-19).
It is unfortunate that people use prophecy to distort Scripture and propagate deception. Varying explanations of end-time prophecy are debated at length by well-meaning people. These “private interpretations” result in the spreading of fear and confusion. Often these people ignore Jesus’s directives for today, such as being humble, nonresistant Christians. Living in Jesus’s kingdom of peace is pushed off into an unknown future time.
Inspired Scripture is given for all people in every time and place. To interpret it is not meant to promote an individual’s special understanding. Rather, it was given that we might encounter Jesus and through knowing Him find true repentance and forgiveness of sins. In our acquaintance with Him we learn patience, find comfort, and live in hope of eternal life (Rom. 15:4). God’s kingship begins in one’s heart and flows out into actions in deeds of love and piety. It begins within each individual and works outward in the church and beyond.
The people of the Old Testament did not see the messianic promises fulfilled; they looked forward to them in faith. They saw them afar off, were persuaded of them, and embraced them (Heb. 11:13). By prophecy we know that this earth will not last forever, and as we see the end approaching, let us not become attached to it and its trappings. God warned Noah of the world’s wickedness and sent a flood to judge the people of his day. Jesus wept over Jerusalem and pleaded for her return to righteousness; however, she refused and was destroyed by the Romans. We also know that the present earth is kept by God, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. God does not want anyone to perish—that is why He has given so much warning. May we be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless (2 Pet. 3:1-14).
Questions
- Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem was a sign. What are acceptable ways to use and interpret signs today?
- How do we identify erroneous interpretations of Scripture?
- What are ways to live in anticipation of the Lord’s return?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).