Setting The Stage: Luke’s Focus

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You're listening to here with a pastor teacher Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior Pastor Ken of the Chapel Subwest Metro. Please do my sister, please read the last verse by verse.

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After examining only eight different prophecies, they conservatively estimated the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies. And keep in mind, more than eight were fulfilled. Keeping in mind that only eight prophecies, the probability of all of those prophecies being fulfilled in one man was ten seventeen.

The Emmaus Road Account Read

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The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the Life and Teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As believers, there are a few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master. Have you ever stopped to consider the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled? Well, today, Pastor Ken shares with us a statistical study that was done of just eight of the many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. The metaphor that comes from the statistics is laughable at that. And yet Jesus fulfilled so many of these prophecies. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about He the Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, as we continue with Pastor Ken.

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So they said to him, verse 19, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty indeed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all of this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us when they did not find his body. They came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see. So they recite to him everything that happened as they knew it. They told him what they thought about what was going on. They shared with him the situation that was plaguing them and that was troubling them and that was making them sad.

Jesus Redirects Their Perspective

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When Jesus comes alongside you on your journey, he wants you to tell him what's going on in your life. He wants you to tell him what it is that's making you sad. He wants you to tell him about all the things that have been happening so that he can redirect your thoughts and set your mind on the right perspective and can reveal to you the truth of the matter. Because you see, Jesus takes what they said and he doesn't say, Oh man, that's so sad. I'm sorry. You poor guys, you must be really upset. He doesn't say that. He says, Oh, foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

Starting At Moses And The Prophets

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And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And so Jesus begins to teach them and begins to explain to them and help them to understand all the things written in the scriptures about himself. Man, I wish we had that CD. That would be just awesome, wouldn't it? I mean, to hear that teaching, to walk along that road and to listen to the questions they were probably asking as they went along and of the answers that he was giving, and to hear all of the little nuances of the scriptures that related directly to the Messiah and of all the things that were gonna transpire relating to him. Now we do have the written record of it. We just have to pick out the pieces. We can tell you today, I can tell you some of the scriptures that Jesus shared with them, and I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna tell you this morning some of the things that Jesus certainly had to have said to these men, though not nearly so well will they be explained. Let's start with that word slow. We know what heart means, right? We know what believe means. But what does he mean slow of heart to believe? The word slow there is Bradus. I hope there's no one here named Brad today. Because Bradus means dull, inactive in mind, stupid, slow to apprehend or believe. And so what he's saying is, look, guys, you're being foolish here. Frankly, you're being stupid. How is it you don't understand what has been so clearly written in scripture? No, we don't need to hear abrasiveness in his tone. It's as though he's talking to them and he's saying, Listen, guys, you got it all wrong. Let me, to use a word my dad used to say, or an expression my dad used to say, let me show you how the cow ate the cabbage. Let me tell you what actually happened, okay? And what all of these things that you've seen over the last few days really mean. And let me show you how God really prepared all of this in advance and how you guys

Psalm 22 Fulfilled At The Cross

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really should have noticed it. I'm sure that some of the things that he shared with them were these, starting in Genesis 3.15. Moses wrote, as he wrote the five books of the Pentateuch, the book of Genesis, and so as it says here that he began at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. We start with Genesis 3.15, where God said to the serpent, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. This is the first messianic prophecy of the Bible. And it talks about the victory of Christ over Satan, but it also talks about the fact that the Messiah himself would be wounded. So from the very beginning, we have the testimony of God Himself saying that Messiah would suffer. Hebrews 2, 14 through 18 relates that verse in this manner: inasmuch then as we, the children, have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise, speaking of the Messiah, shared in the same. And through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and released those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed he does not give aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham, that is, those who believe. Therefore, all things, in all things, he had to be made like his brethren, like us, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people, for in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted.

Prophecy Details In John 19

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You see, Messiah had to suffer so that he could understand our suffering. He had to take on human flesh so that he could be tempted even as we are tempted. So that when we are tempted, he can aid us and help us because he is familiar with our struggle. Psalms 22, 1. The psalmist prophesies the very words of Christ from the cross when he said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? Matthew 27, 46. We saw that fulfilled. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, Lamasabakhthani, which is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? We're forgiven. Because he was forsaken. We're accepted, he was condemned. Just like the song says. But it didn't. We should have been forsaken of God. When our first father ate of that apple, that apple wasn't even an apple. When he ate of that forbidden fruit, we should have died right there. God had every right to say, well, we're done here, aren't we? Reset. Do over. I don't even know why I made those guys in the first place. He had every right to forsake us. But he redeemed us. He paid the price for us. Don't ever think that forgiveness is free. It's free to you because God paid for it with his son. It's a gift. Psalm twenty-two. Turn there. Verse one is not the only prophecy we find in that chapter. Let's pick up in verse 13. Twelve, actually. Let's go back to twelve. Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They gape at me with their mouths like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it has melted within me. My strength is dried up like a pot sherd, and my tongue clings to my jaws. You have brought me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me, the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me, they divide my garments among them, and

Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Explained

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for my clothing they cast lots. Turn now, if you will, to John 19. As we see the fulfillment of these numerous prophecies. Let's start in verse 23. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the scripture might be fulfilled, which says, They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Therefore the soldiers did these things. Even down to what they did with his clothing, was prophesied. The fact that they would pierce his side and that blood and water would pour forth was prophesied. The fact that when they came to him to break his legs and hasten his death, as was the custom with those who were being crucified, they found him already dead and therefore did not break one of his bones. That was prophesied. All of it, his suffering, his death, his burial and resurrection, was the fulfillment of prophecy. And there's more. 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 transgressions of my people he was stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, because he had done

Zechariah And The Pierced Messiah

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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, that is us. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. Excuse me, that is us. For he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he has 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. Are you a transgressor? I am. I am. Have you sinned? Oh yes. So have I. We all have. The Bible tells us that he who says he is without sin is a liar. And there's no truth in him. I was talking with my brother-in-law once. He used to go to a very hyper-charismatic apostolic church long ago. And a preacher would get up there and he'd say, I want to praise the Lord that I haven't sinned in 20 years. My brother-in-law would lean over to his friend and say, Whoop, there goes one. He just lied. And it's true. You see, we are all transgressors. And he died for transgressors. He makes intercession for transgressors. That means that when Satan is there accusing you, Jesus is making intercession for you. That means when Satan says, Yeah, but he did that, and she did this, and they did this other thing, and they're guilty, guilty, guilty. Jesus says, Oh, yeah, they're guilty. But I paid for them. I took their punishment. So they are righteous in me. They're mine. Take your hands off. Daniel 9, 26 said, After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. How much plainer can it be put than that? Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself. He was cut off for us. Zechariah 12.9 said, It shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 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 before him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zechariah says just a few verses later in chapter 13, verse 6 One shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands?

Go Farther With Jesus

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Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. You see, Zechariah's prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. Those are prophecies of the returning Messiah, who after he has been cut off, will one day come again to his people and destroy those nations that come against Israel. And they're gonna look at him and they're gonna say, What happened to your hands? And he's gonna tell them what happened to his hands. And they will receive him and they will be restored. Just as we receive him and are restored. You see, Messiah had to be cut off. Messiah had to suffer, Messiah had to die. They didn't understand it. And so he so beautifully explained it. Verse 28 of Luke 24. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and he indicated that he would have gone on farther. I think that's very true of our experience with Jesus as well. And that is, he is always willing to go farther in our relationship with him than we are. Jesus is always willing to go as far as you'll go with him. And then he says, Can't we go a little further? Can we go just a little more? Because you see, wherever you are with him right now, he wants more of you. And he wants to give you more of himself. So go on with him. Press on with Jesus. Don't stop where you are. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to stay with them. I want to pause there for just a moment before we enter to the next section to share with you something that is a little out of tune, perhaps, with the song that the Lord is playing for us this morning in this scripture that we've read. But I think it's pertinent. I think it's of interest. We just read numerous scriptures, numerous prophecies, all of which were fulfilled perfectly.

Probability And Messianic Prophecy

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And there are many others that were fulfilled by Jesus in his life because we focused only on those that dealt with his suffering and death. I want to read this to you. The science of probability attempts to determine the chance that a given event will occur. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been well established beyond doubt. For example, insurance rates are fixed according to statistical probabilities. Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmount College, Peter Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. The estimates he worked out, the estimates he had worked out by twelve different classes representing some 600 college students. The students carefully weighed all of the factors, discussed each prophecy at length, and examined the various circumstances which might indicate the men had conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy. They made their estimates conservative enough so that there was finally a unanimous agreement even among the most skeptical of these 600 students. However, then Professor Stoner took their estimates and made them even more conservative. He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own estimates to see if his conclusions were more than fair. Finally, he submitted his figures for review to a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation. Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. Peter Stoner Science Speaks, Chicago Moody Press, 1969. For example, concerning Micah 5-2, where it states that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Ephratha, Stoner and his students determined the average population of Bethlehem from the time of Micah to the present day. And they divided it by the average population of the earth during the same period, and they concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was 1 in 2.8 times 10 to the fifth power, or rounded up, it was one in 300,000. After examining only eight different prophecies, they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies, and keep in mind there were a lot more than eight that were fulfilled. But keeping in mind that only eight prophecies, the probability of all of those prophecies being fulfilled in one man was ten to the seventeenth power. To illustrate how large a number 10 to the 17th power is, this is the illustration that was given. If you mark one of ten tickets and place all of the tickets in a hat and thoroughly stir them up and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chances of getting the right ticket is one in ten, right?

Closing Invitation And Resources

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Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. You've been listening to Heed the Word, the teaching ministry of Pastor Ken Davis, Calvary Chapel in Burleson, Texas. We are currently making our way through the Gospel of Luke here on Heed the Word. The Gospel of Luke is packed full of insights about Jesus, our Savior. So we encourage you to join us again, same time, same place, for the next study through Luke with Pastor Ken. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast, this teaching, as well as many others, are available from the Heed the Word Media Player. You can listen to today's teaching, download today's teaching, subscribe to the Heed the Word podcast, or even get a copy on your mobile phone. Everything's right there. There's even a Bible available for you to follow along in the scriptures as Pastor Ken teaches. So log on to HeedTheWord.org and continue studying with us today. If today's teaching has blessed you, perhaps you'd like to visit us for worship. Calvary Chapel Southwest Metro meets each Sunday morning at 10.30 a.m. and Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. We'd love to have you stop by and join us. For more information and driving directions, log on to www.heedtheword.org. This has been another edition of Heed the Word, the verse by verse, chapter by chapter, and book-by-book teaching ministry of Ken Davis, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro. Place a marker in your Bibles and join us next time for our continuing study through the Gospel of Luke right here on Heed the Word.