The Crux of History
Jeff Horn
Midland SDA Church
June 6, 2015
· Jesus’ Death Predicted
o “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed…He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” –Isaiah 53:5,7
o This passage contains just a few of over 300 Old Testament prophecies that Jesus’ life and death fulfilled
o Another example is Psalms 22:16 which says that “They have pierced my hands and feet.” According to secular sources, crucifixion was not invented as a form of punishment until the 6th century B.C. Psalms was most likely written around 1000 B.C., but even if it was not that early, it was written at least 200 B.C., as confirmed by being found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This means that this prophecy was likely written before crucifixion was even invented, but at a minimum it was written well prior to Jesus’ death on the cross.
· The Crux of History (Outline)
o Crucifixion and Resurrection
§ Old Testament Prophecies
· The time and the event of Jesus’ death predicted
§ Secular Evidence
· Confirms Jesus was crucified and rose again
§ Major Implications
· The impact of the crucifixion and resurrection
§ Misunderstandings
· Common misconceptions of the impact of the cross
§ Application
· What does this mean for me?
· 70 week prophecy (slide 1)
o The prophecy given in Daniel chapter 9 is shown as a timeline here.
· 70 week prophecy (slide 2)
o “Seventy weeks are determined for your people…from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks…And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself…Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” -Daniel 9:24-27
· 70 week prophecy (slide 3)
o Command to restore Jerusalem given by King Artaxerxes to Ezra in 457 B.C. (need to confirm this)
o Using the day for a year principle, and adding the 7 weeks that it took to restore Jerusalem and then another 62 weeks, we come to a total of 69 weeks, which brings us to the year A.D. 27.
o The last week of the prophecy (7 years) spans from A.D. 27 to A.D. 34. We know that A.D. 27 is when Jesus was baptized, and note that he was cut off in the midst of the week, which we see fulfilled in his death in A.D. 31. This brought an end to the sacrifices. The prophecy concludes in the 70th week with the stoning of Stephen, at which time the gospel was taken to the Gentiles.
· Did Jesus Die on the Cross? (slide 1)
o This event is an amazing fulfillment of prophecy, and the linchpin of Christianity. But did it happen?
§ The Bible, which is well established as a reliable book of history on its own testifies to this event. But even without the Bible, we can confirm that the crucifixion took places using secular sources.
· “Christus…suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of…Pontius Pilate.” –Tacitus, 1st century Roman historian
· “When Pilate…condemned him (Christ) to be crucified, those who had…come to love him did not give up their affection for him.” –Josephus, 1st century Jewish historian
· Did Jesus Die on the Cross? (slide 2)
o “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged.” –Babylonian Talmud, Jewish rabbinical compilations from A.D. 70-500.
§ Hanged can be synonym for crucified (Gal. 3:13, Luke 23:39)
o “The Christians…worship a man to this day – the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account…” –Lucian, 2nd century Greek satirist
· Was Jesus Resurrected?
o Tomb blocked by stone
§ Stone set in a downhill groove
§ Generally over 2,000 pounds
§ Would have taken several men to move it
o Roman guards present
§ Jews argument was that the guards fell asleep, allowing the disciples to steal the body. The Jews’ argument confirms that they knew guards were present at the tomb.
o Site of the tomb widely known
§ Skeptics could easily have squelched Christianity if tomb was not empty.
o The disciples, with the exception of John, were killed for their belief in Jesus.
§ Would not have knowingly died for a lie
o 1 Corinthians 15 statement of faith
· Was Jesus Resurrected? (slide 2)
o “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also...” -1 Corinthians 15:3-8
§ Written within twenty years of resurrection
· Paul was in Corinth in 51 A.D., and he says he already gave this creed to the church in Corinth, so it must have been written before that
§ Paul says that he saw the resurrected Jesus himself
§ Paul invites the questioning of people still alive at the time as to the validity of the story
· The Crucifixion and Resurrection (slide 1)
o We have explored enough evidence to be confident in our knowledge of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
o So what are the implications of the most important weekend in human history?
· The Crucifixion and Resurrection (slide 2)
o Salvation available
§ Made salvation available to the human race
· Substitutionary atonement
o Jesus took on the penalty of our sin, which is death. We now have the opportunity to accept his sacrifice and obtain the life that He deserves.
o Reshaped history
§ 2 billion+ Christians in the world today
o Was the law changed or done away with?
§ An issue that is often raised in regards to the cross is what impact this event had on the law. Let’s take a closer at this often misunderstood topic
· What Laws are still Binding?
o There are four types of laws given in the Bible. We will take a closer look at each type to determine if it is still something that God asks us to observe today, or if it only applied to a certain people at a certain time.
§ Ceremonial law
§ Civil law
§ Dietary law
§ Moral law
· Ceremonial Law (slide 1)
o Called Moses’ law
o Only existed because of sin
o Series of Object lessons for children of Israel pointing to Christ
o “A shadow” of things to come
§ Examples (Leviticus 23)
· Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and The Feast of Tabernacles, and ceremonial sabbaths
o These events basically consisted of various food and drink offerings and sacrifices made to God with very particular requirements
· Shadows
o In Colossians chapter 2, Paul provides a list of items that he refers to as “a shadow” of which Christ is the substance.
o “So let no man judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
-Colossians 2:16,17
· Notice that the list provided by Paul is clearly describing the ceremonies that the children of Israel performed, which were a part of Moses’ law. These were a shadow of what was to come, of which Christ was the substance. This is confirmed by the perspective given in Hebrews chapters 8-10. In these chapters, we discover that Moses’ law was a shadow pointing forward to Christ. Moses’ laws can not sanctify us, but through Christ’s death we are sanctified.
o “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices…make those who approach perfect…then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” -Hebrews 10:1,9,10
o “Shadows” refer to the ceremonial laws that pointed to Jesus’ coming
o Note that “sabbaths” (little s) in Colossians 2:16,17 would be talking about the ceremonial sabbaths, not the seventh-day Sabbath, which was never a part of the ceremonial law.
· Ceremonial Law (slide 2)
o “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.”
-Daniel 9:27
o “…having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances…”
-Ephesians 2:15
o After Jesus died, there was no longer a need to perform the ceremonies that pointed to Him.
· Moses’ Law and God’s Law
o We have established that the ceremonial laws pointed forward to Christ, and thus were no longer necessary after His death. Before we take a closer look at God’s moral law in a little bit, notice the key differences between Moses’ law and God’s law.
· Civil Law
o Laws given by God to Israel
§ Conducting business
§ Societal regulations
§ Daily activities
§ Penalties for breaking different guidelines
§ Became irrelevant when Israel began being ruled by kings, rather than being a theocracy under God.
· Dietary Law (slide 1)
o Adam and Eve were aware that there were certain things for them to eat, and certain things not to eat.
§ “And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.”
-Genesis 1:29
o Noah knew that certain animals were unclean.
§ “Then the Lord said Noah…You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal…two each of animals that are unclean.”
-Genesis 7:1-2
· Dietary Law (slide 2)
o “In it [the sheet in Peter’s vision] were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, ‘Rise Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘Not so Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean. And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’…Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant…Then he [Peter] said to them, ‘You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”
-Acts 10:12-14
o Notice that Peter had knowledge of and kept the dietary law. He came to understand that the vision applied to keeping company with the Gentiles – it had nothing to do with diet or eating unclean animals.
o We can conclude from the Bible by looking at the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, and Peter, that the Dietary Law was not a general rule to be applied to a specific people. There’s a reason that God has forbidden us from eating certain foods – they are really bad for us! God cared about His people’s health 6,000 years ago, and He cares about our health now!
· Moral Law
o We’re going to look at ten points that explain the nature of God’s moral law, and differentiate then from ceremonial laws in particular
o Always present, even in heaven
o Transcript of God’s character
o Written by God’s finger into tablets of stone
o Jesus observed them
o Reaffirmed in New Testament
o Unchangeable
o Shows love for and knowledge of God
o Standard for judgment
o Heart transplant necessary for observance
o Blessings and freedom come by keeping them
· Always Present
o God’s moral law has always been and will always be present. It is a misconception to think that this law did not exist until God wrote it on tablets of stone for the Israelites, as we see examples in the Bible that show us that the law existed before the ten commandments were written.
o Iniquity found in Lucifer in heaven, which means there was law
§ “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” –Romans 4:15
§ “For sin is transgression of the law.” -1 John 3:4
§ “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” –Romans 3:20
§ “I would not have known sin except through the law.” –Romans 7:7
§ “You (Lucifer) were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” –Ezekiel 28:15
o Cain sinned by killing Abel
§ “So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? … And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.’” -Genesis 4:6,7
· Transcript of God’s character
o Both the law and God are referred to in the Bible as
§ Good, holy, perfect, pure, just, true, spiritual, righteousness, faithful, love, unchangeable, and eternal
· Written by God’s finger into stone
o “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.’” –Exodus 34:1
o “And He (God) wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” –Exodus 34:28
· Jesus Observed Them
o “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” -John 15:10
o “Think not that I am come to destroy the law…”-Matthew 5:17
· Each Commandment Reaffirmed in New Testament
o Each of the ten commandments is reaffirmed multiple times, and quite clearly, in the New Testament.
· Unchangeable
o “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
-Matthew 5:17
o “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”
-Psalm 89:34
o “All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever.”
-Psalm 111:7,8
o Christians in general believe that 9 of the 10 commandments are still in effect. It’s interesting that the one that begins with the word “remember” is the one that is now generally forgotten. But as we can see, God’s moral law cannot be changed, and this includes the seventh-day Sabbath.
· Shows love for and knowledge of God
o “If you love me, keep my commandments.” -John 14:15
o “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
-1 John 2:3
o “Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.”
-1 John 5:3
· Standard for Judgment
o “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
-Matthew 19:17
o “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
-James 2:10
· Heart Transplant Required
o How are we able to keep God’s law as sinful human beings?
o “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.” -Hebrews 10:16
§ This is the New Covenant. The laws didn’t change from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, because there was nothing wrong with the laws to begin with. They are a direct reflection of God’s character. What changed is that under the New Covenant, God writes His laws in our heart and we are able to keep His laws because of the new heart that only He can give us.
o “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
-Ezekiel 36:26
· Blessings by Obedience
o “Blessed are they that do His commandments.”
-Revelation 22:14
o “I will walk at liberty; for I seek Thy precepts.”
-Psalms 119:45
o “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”
-James 2:12
o God didn’t come up with a list of do’s and don’ts because He wanted to make things really difficult for us, and make life burdensome. God knows what is best for us, and He truly desires for us to be peaceful and joyful on this earth, and to spend eternity with Him. He has made us aware of His commandments because by keeping them we will have the best life possible on this earth, and will be fitted for heaven, as we become more closely aligned with His character. As Christians, we want be Christlike. What better way to do that than to follow a law that is a transcript of His character?
· What Laws are still Binding?
o Four types of law in the Bible
§ Ceremonial Law - NO
§ Civil Law - NO
§ Dietary Law - YES
§ Moral Law - YES
· The Law and Grace
o Before we close, I want to make it clear that we are NOT saved by keeping the law. It’s important to understand the relationship between the law and grace, and I believe that Ellen White did an excellent job of summing it up. I’m going to read a passage taken from a compilation of her works in a book called “True Revival.”
o Read paragraph on page 21-22 in True Revival
§ Law acts as a mirror to show us our sins
§ We must then place our faith in Christ
§ His grace will cover our sins
§ With a new heart, we will delight in keeping God’s law, because it is a transcript of His character
· Application
o We’ve covered a lot of ground today. What I pray that you will take away from today is that:
§ Christ died for your sins, and He lives today
§ Salvation is available to all who believe
§ If we believe, we will ask Him to create a new heart in us
§ Keeping God’s law will then become a delight