Jesus Fulfilled Scripture

Photo by William Ng

Scripture: Luke 24:4-7

While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?  “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

Insights: The implication and foreshadowing of the Old Testament is found all the way back in Genesis when the Lord states, “He (Jesus) will crush you (Satan) on the head, and you (Satan) shall bruise him (Jesus) on the heel (3:15).”  Satan was going to “bruise” Jesus heel at His death on Calvary, but Jesus’ death and resurrection would be the crushing blow to Satan’s head.  The Old Testament is peppered with the story of Easter and when we get to the gospels Jesus tells of His death and resurrection very plainly.  If we had been around during the time of Jesus, we would have been no different from these ladies in today’s verses.  We would have come to the tomb perplexed as well.  Yet, even as the ladies are in the tomb the angels share with them the words of Jesus and they are reminded of His promise.  I think the Lord’s intentional and deliberate foretelling of Jesus is an amazingly comforting reality to our faith.  The Lord does not just act.  He first tells us what He is going to do and then He acts.  The same is true here with His resurrection.  The Lord works this way even now and I think we respond just like these ladies.  We are perplexed and surprised when the Lord works.  Our shock tells us more about our faith than it does in the power of the Lord.  It is my prayer I become less and less shocked by the Lord’s activity in my life and more and more expectant in His work in my life.  I pray my faith increases and I become one who is anticipating the Lord to WOW me with His power and might.  Beloved, I hope you join me in this kind of praying.

Questions:

1. What is your favorite Scripture that points to Jesus’ death and resurrection?

2. Why is that verse (or are those verses) your favorite?

Prayer: Father, I love the fact You have told us in advance what You were going to do.  Hundreds of years before Jesus, You let us know You would send a promised Savior who would die for our sins, but that You would give Him life again.  Thank You for always pointing us to Your plan of redemption. Amen.

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