Total Fulfillment

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2049-53&version=NIV

I wish I had more – more time and more knowledge because the passages we are reading today are crucial when it comes down to the determination of whether Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. Today’s passages are filled with Messianic prophecies - "Messianic," meaning that they speak about an "anointed one" - a special person anointed by God - to carry out work ordained by God. As Christians we believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Bible's Messianic promises. Perhaps the Bible's most famous Messianic passages are found in Isaiah, chapter 53.

I encourage you to search out these passages for yourself. Dig deeper into the Word of God, see the perfection in how every word of prophecy spoken in Isaiah concerning the Servant is fulfilled through Christ in the New Testament. If you do so, you will receive immense return on your investment of time. You will gain because God will reveal himself and teach you through his word. You gain because the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal God to you isn’t in the writings in this blog, but it is powerfully infused in the inspired, alive and active Word of God. You gain because you have an answer for the hope that you have that is beyond a basic understanding. You gain weapons to fight with as we enter what is believed by myself and many others to be a critical time for Christians. It is a time when we must know what we believe, what we stand on, and why. It is a time when we must know truth so that we are not lead astray.

So I encourage you to search out answers – I am providing you with some resources. The first is a list of Messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah from the web page aboutbibleprophecy.com. If you click got to the page that I linked here and click on the link for each, you will receive a fuller explanation of what this prophecies means and how it is fulfilled. The second is a list of all the Messianic prophecies found in Scripture. The Old Testament reference is the prophecy, the New Testament reference is its fulfillment. Again, I encourage you to study, read, and let this knowledge be planted in your heart and your mind.

http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/isaiah.htm

Isaiah 49:6
God's salvation would reach the ends of the earth

Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah foreshadowed the virgin birth of Jesus

Isaiah 40:1-5,9
The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger

Isaiah 35:4-6
He would perform miracles

Isaiah 9:6-7
There would be a son called God

Isaiah 53:1-3
The Messiah would be rejected

Isaiah 50:6
Jesus was spat upon and beaten

Isaiah 53:7
God's servant would be silent before his accusers

Isaiah 53:4-6
God's servant would die for our sins

Isaiah 53:12
God's servant would be "numbered with the transgressors"

Isaiah 53:9
God's servant would be buried in a rich man's tomb

Isaiah 49:13-17
God will never forget the children of Israel

Isaiah 45:1
Babylon's gates would open for Cyrus

Isaiah 13:19
Babylon's kingdom would be overthrown, permanently

Isaiah 14:23
Babylon would be reduced to swampland
The Old Testament verses are the prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them all out for yourself!
• Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)
• A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16)
• Of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14)
• Of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)
• Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)
• Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)
• Herod´s killing of the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)
• Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)
• Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)
• Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)
• Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)
• Would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16) Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)
• Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)
• Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9)
• Would be rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; I Peter 2:7)
• Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) involving:
1. rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48)
2. betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18)
3. sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15)
4. silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14)
5. being mocked (Psalm 22: 7-8; Matthew 27:31)
6. beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26)
7. spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30)
8. piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31)
9. being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38)
10. praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34)
11. piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)
12. given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36)
13. no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36)
14. buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)
15. casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)
• Would rise from the dead!! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)
• Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)
• Would sit down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)

I pray my friends, that you will study and go deeper. I pray that you have gained new knowledge of God this day – one that takes grows your faith. I pray that if you don’t know Christ, He has been revealed to you this day as the One, the True, the LIVING God! I pray that if you have any questions, you will e-mail me at cbart1231@aol.com.