Even heathen men fulfilled prophecy. “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” Psalm 22:18.
This was fulfilled while Jesus was on the cross. “Then the soldiers… took his garments, and made four parts… to each soldier a part… now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said, therefore among themselves, let us not rend it, but cast lots for it.” John 19:23.24.
Jesus died on the cross in six hours, whereas it normally took some days. Just before sunset on Friday night, Jesus and the malefactors were taken from the cross. To prevent escape, their legs were broken, but “when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.” John 19:33.
This was the fulfilment of David’s prophecy. “He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:20.
To make certain Jesus was dead, “one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” John 19:34. This signified death from a broken heart, a medically recognisable condition.
Think about it. Jesus died of a broken heart; He did not die from crucifixion. Your sins and mine were so heavy upon His heart that it could not take the pressure any longer and He died.
“It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God – it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God.” Steps to Christ p13.
To shield His Son from the mocking onlookers at the greatest time of His suffering, the Father hid the sun from view, and “from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” Matthew 27:45. (Jewish reckoning for twelve hours was from sunrise to sunset, which made the sixth hour noon and the ninth hour three o’clock, which is when Jesus died)
This darkness was spread over a large geographical area, but there was no eclipse. Historian James Ussher records that the darkness was seen even in Rome.
When Jesus was dead, “there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph…. (who) went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus… and when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb.” Matthew 27:57-60. There is a tomb in a garden in Jerusalem, discovered by General Gordon in the 19th century. Every detail about the tomb has been compared with the Scriptures and there is little doubt it is the genuine tomb where Jesus was buried.
INTRODUCTION
Christians can be absolutely certain Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah.
But why do the Jews reject Him? After all, Jesus was Jewish and He came to the Jewish nation.
It is all in the interpretation of Bible prophecy.
Well, not quite.
It also has a lot to do with attitudes.
Some of the predictions speak of the Messiah’s coming the first time and some the second time. In places, the two are blended. The Jewish leaders did not discern the difference because their hearts were hardened by sin.
Last days -- Hebrews 1:1.2.
Messianic Age
1st Advent_________________________________2nd Advent
Suffering Vengeance
Crown of thorns Crown of glory
You see, the first advent was for Jesus to take the sins of the world upon Himself and die their penalty. The second will be to take all back to heaven who have accepted the gift of pardon.
When He came the first time, it was as a lamb going to the slaughter. The second time it will be as the King and Judge of all men.
The difference between the two is immeasurable.
On His way to the cross “they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head.” Matthew 27:29. In heaven He will be given a crown of glory.
Listen to John’s description of the glorious Second Advent
“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head many crowns… And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God…And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations… And He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:12.13.15.16.
The Jewish leaders expected the Messiah to come as a King to smite the Romans. Instead, He came with a spiritual message, the healing of body and soul.
As a result, they could not accept Him as the Son of God.
And for claiming to be the Son of God, they crucified Him and put Him on a Roman cross.
The Jewish nation and Rome both had a partial responsibility in Christ’ death, but it was your sins and mine that He died.
“It was the burden of sin, the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from God – it was this that broke the heart of the Son of God.” Steps to Christ 14.15.
And yet, although all three aspects are true, Jesus laid down His own life. He said, “I am the good Shepherd… I lay down my life for the sheep…. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” John 10:14-18.
In the light of this it is important you and I understand the prophecies as God reveals them. We cannot come to the Word with an agenda; we must submit to the voice of God’s Spirit speaking to us. And we can recognise the Messiah from the prophecies of the Bible, even seeing the difference between the two advents.
Messianic Prophecies
After following the star for many months, perhaps from China, the wise men came to Jerusalem. Going to King Herod, they asked, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” Matthew 2:2.
These magi expected the Jewish nation to be excited about the birth of the Messiah, but they knew nothing of it. They were not expecting Him.
Of course, Herod was furious. This child was a rival to the throne.
The king gathered all the chief priests and scribes together, demanding where the Messiah would be born.
“They said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, ‘And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel’.” Matthew 2:5.6.
This prophecy was given in approximately 700BC.
The priests had paraphrased it slightly, for it said, “But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2.
(The Bethlehem referred to by the prophet is the one in Ephratah or Judea, the Bethlehem called David’s city)
So there is no question where the Messiah would be born, and it is not vague. It is very specific.
A false claimant could not organise his own birthplace.
And it is interesting that Jesus could have been born in Nazareth. In fact, He would have been, except that Caesar Augustus decided to conduct a census.
The New Testament records the details.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed… and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.” Luke 2:1.3. (Cyrenius had already commenced a census in Judea when he was governor of Syria. Luke 2:2. These facts are history)
Mary and Joseph were both of the lineage of David, and were obliged to travel to Bethlehem, even though Mary was due to give birth to Jesus. Many others travelled to David’s city, and this is why ‘there was no room in the inn.’
So, the Messiah was born in Bethlehem.
Jesus also needed to be born of a particular genealogy, for God had said to Abraham, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Genesis 22:18.
Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac, and Isaac and Rebecca bore two sons, Esau and Jacob.
Did God specify from which son His own would spring?
Yes, for He repeated the promise to Jacob, “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 28:14.
Another Messianic prophecy was spoken by Balaam, “There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17.
Now it becomes interesting.
Jacob had twelve sons. Which one would be the ancestor of the Messiah?
It could not be Jacob’s firstborn Reuben, nor could it be Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph or Benjamin.
Neither could it from Jacob’s son Levi. His was the chosen tribe for the priesthood, and although the Messiah would be a priest, it would not be of the Order of Levi. His was a heavenly, eternal priesthood, called the Order of Melchisedec. (Look up Psalms 110:4, written by the psalmist David)
The Messiah must come from the tribe of Judah.
This was the tribe of the kings of Israel. It was the tribe from which King David was born. Both Mary and Joseph were Judahites, and thus Mary’s child was related to David.
Below is the Messianic prophecy given by Jacob on his death bed. “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee…. Judah is a lion’s whelp… The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Genesis 49:8-10.
This is a little bit coded, but we know from Hebrew scholars that Shiloh is a symbolic name of the Messiah. He is also called the ‘lion of the tribe of Judah’. The prophecy also relates to the throne and rulership of kings in Israel. At that time, Rome ruled the world, but it would not be many years before Titus the Roman general would surround Jerusalem and destroy it. Once that happened, the sceptre would be completely gone from the Jewish nation.
Even before this destruction, Rome had replaced bloodline kings with its own rulers.
Thus the prophecy puts a time limit on the coming of the Messiah, for Jerusalem was destroyed in AD70.
The prophecy of Daniel 9 reveals the time of the Messiah’s baptism as AD27, in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. Luke 3:1. The rabbis’ curse placed upon this prophecy prevented the Jews from understanding the time of Messiah’s arrival.
Jacob’s words about Judah were given in approximately 1600BC, and they were copied from family records by Moses some four hundred years later. These records became the book of Genesis.
Now we must consider a very important prophecy that makes or breaks the whole subject. If it fails, there is no Messiah.
Who was His Father?
If Jesus was simply the son of Joseph, He would not be divine and His ministry would not be miraculous. Neither could His sacrifice on Calvary have any benefit for the rest of humanity. It would just be a tragic death like many thousands who were crucified.
However, the Messiah must be a human being to be able to die for our sins.
In the Garden of Eden God said to Adam and Eve, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16.17.
You are I, as descendants of Adam, bearing the consequences of his transgression. But we have also sinned and therefore come under the same death penalty.
Only a perfect human being could pay the penalty of humanity’s sins, and not one of us fits that category.
So Christ became a human being through the seed of Mary, a miraculous conception, for Joseph was not to be the Messiah’s father. Isaiah wrote in about 750BC, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14.
It is written, “She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21.
(In Hebrew Jesus is Yeshua, which means ‘Jehovah saves’, ‘Yahweh saves’, or simply ‘Saviour’. The implication is that He is Immanuel – God with us. See Matthew 1:22.23)
But again, to be able to bear the sins of the world, and able to give the benefits of His sacrifice to us, the Messiah must be divine.
In other words, His Father must be God.
Isaiah wrote of the Messiah, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6.7.
Christ did not become the Son of God at Mary’s conception or Bethlehem. He was born in eternity. God the Father sent His Son into this world. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” 1 John 4:9.
Ask yourself the question – Did God have a Son to send?
If the answer is NO, then our theology is wrong, for the Bible clearly states, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10.
John repeats the words, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” 1 John 4:14.
It is so important to understand that God sent His Son, yes, sent His only-begotten Son, for “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12.
The close relationship of Christ to His Father began in eternity, and “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:10.11.
So long as God’s Son remained pure, refusing to give in to temptation and sin, He would be a spotless sacrifice and able to pay our death penalty.
The record states of Jesus that He, “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” 1 Peter 2:22.
When Jesus asked the Pharisees, who were sticklers for the Law, if anyone could charge Him with breaking the Law, not one could answer. He said of Himself, “I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10.
Isaiah spoke of Christ’s ministry in the first person, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” Isaiah 61:1.2.
When Jesus read from this scroll in the synagogue of Nazareth, He stopped mid-sentence. The words are slightly different, being more explanatory, but notice where He stops.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it to the minister, and sat down.” Luke 4:18-20.
Why did Jesus not read about the day of vengeance?
The day of vengeance had not arrived, and Jesus refused to feed the false understanding of the Jews.
Another of Isaiah’s prophecies of Messiah says, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11.
This reveals the gentle, loving nature of God’s Son, and His mission at the first advent.
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“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man laid.” John 19:41.
Praise God the tomb is empty.
Jesus rose from the dead and is today seated at the right hand of God.
In the Psalms, David wrote, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (grave); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Psalm 16:10.
After His resurrection, Jesus met the disciples and many believers, in Galilee to give His parting blessing. “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9.
Amazed, everyone watched as He ascended into the clouds.
“And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Luke 24:51.52.
Dear Reader, Jesus went to His Father’s house “to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2.
He had told His disciples, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.” John 14:3.
Can you see that Jesus is truly the promised Messiah?
1. Born in Bethlehem.
2. Of the seed of Abraham.
3. Of the tribe of Judah.
4. Born of a virgin.
5. Teaching and healing ministry.
6. Betrayed by a friend.
7. Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.
8. Money used to buy a potter’s field.
9. Crucified – hands and feet pierced.
10. Silent before accusers.
11. Reviled by persecutors.
12. Clothing rent, but lots cast for His coat.
13. No bones broken.
14. Side pierced.
15. Darkness over the land between noon and 3.00pm.
16. Buried in a rich man’s tomb.
17. Raised from the dead.
18. Ascends to heaven.
Our great joy will be when Jesus returns in glory for His children. He will come with a “shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God”. 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
It will not be a silent coming; not a secret rapture.
Jesus will come “as a thief in the night” only to those who are not prepared and who do not expect Him. Notice the words. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night… But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
My Friend, will you determine to be ready to meet Jesus in peace, so He can take you home?
I hope so. I want to meet you on that wonderful day.
He is so wonderful, He is so wonderful,
Jesus my Saviour is all things to me,
He saves and satisfies,
My ev’ry need supplies,
On Him my soul relies – eternally.
During His ministry upon this earth, Jesus taught the people and healed their diseases. Wherever He went, “a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him… He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues, and unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, ‘Thou art the Son of God’.” Mark 3:7.8.10.11.
Whole villages were healed and there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for Jesus had passed that way. Christ’s work gave evidence of His divine anointing.
When asked by John the Baptist’s disciples if He was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Matthew 11:5.
Yes, Jesus acknowledged that He was doing the work of the Messiah.
“The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even little children were attracted to Him. They loved to climb upon His knees, and gaze into the pensive face, benignant with love.” Steps to Christ p12.13.
Sadly, not all loved Him.
The Jewish leaders -- the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the scribes, the lawyers, the Herodians, the elders -- were all jealous of His popularity, and they hated him for it.
This too was prophesied. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3.
(The book of Isaiah was one of the Biblical Dead Sea scrolls found in the caves of Qumran. It was 1000 years older than any other extant scroll. On comparing it with the Hebrew Masoretic text and the translation to English of the King James Bible, it was found to be almost word for word, the only difference being a few grammar and spelling variations)
Yes, Jesus was hated by the leaders of His nation, and they plotted to kill Him. Sad to say, one of Christ’s disciples helped them in this evil deed.
Judas Iscariot.
David prophesied of this betrayal, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” Psalm 41:9.
He also wrote, “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him; But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” Psalm 55:12-14.
Secretly Judas went to the Jewish Sanhedrin, the highest legal committee in the land, and offered to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
In 500BC, the prophet Zechariah wrote, “If ye think good, give me my price… so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” Zechariah 11:12.
During the illegal night trial, Judas realised Jesus was not going to release Himself as he had expected, and he cried out in horror, giving the coins back to the high priest.
Embarrassed by the revelation of his guilt, the high priest refused the coins, and the money fell to the ground. The elders agreed that this ‘blood money’ could not be put into the temple treasury, and it was decided to buy the potter’s field in which to bury dead strangers. Matthew 27:3.7.
Note what Zechariah said in the next verse. “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.” Zechariah 11:13.
Hebrew is often written in the first person, even when it is speaking of someone else. Prophetic utterances can be written as if they are taking place, or have taken place in the past. This seems strange to our way of thinking, however, it is entirely acceptable in the Hebrew. In this way, the reader is drawn into the experience, as if he is the player in the drama.
Let us stop for a moment and consider the prophecies we have studied.
We have learned that the Messiah would be:
1. Born in Bethlehem.
2. Of the seed of Abraham.
3. Of the tribe of Judah.
4. Born of a virgin.
5. His ministry would be teaching and healing.
6. He would be betrayed by a friend.
7. Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.
8. The money would buy a potter’s field.
Of these eight predictions, Jesus could only choose one of them -- His ministry. Yet, it was a miraculous ministry of healing, never before been seen in Israel.
As the Jewish people saw Jesus about His work, they asked each other – Is this the Messiah?
Some said Yes. Others said No.
Many queried, ‘Well if he isn’t the Messiah, by what power does He do His miracles?’
The Pharisees and Sadducees said, ‘He does them by the power of Beelzebub.’ In the eyes of the Jewish leaders, this was Satan, the devil. (It is interesting that the meaning of the name Beelzebub, is ‘lord of the flies’)
One man who was healed from blindness, was constantly accosted by church leaders, ‘Who healed you?’
After many answers, he finally replied at length, “Why, herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” John 9:30-33.
The leaders are furious with this answer and cast him out of the synagogue.
At another time a blind and deaf man was brought to Jesus possessed by a devil. Jesus healed him, and “all the people were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the Son of David?’ Matthew 12:23.
Yes, Jesus was the Son of David, but many only asked the question. They did not consider the answer.
When Jesus was brought to trial, He was falsely accused by the Sanhedrin and false witnesses. In the morning, after much abuse, He was taken to the Roman governor.
Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. However, Pilate’s position was too important to him to risk the wrath of the Sadducees and Pharisees. So he had Jesus scourged, thinking this might placate them.
But it didn’t.
Again Isaiah prophesied of the suffering of the Messiah in the first person, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off my hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6. (See Matthew 26:67)
We will now read one of the most beautiful prophecies of the Messiah in the Bible, and while you read it, remember it was prophesied over 750 years prior to it taking place.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to be slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth...” Isaiah 53:4.5.6.7.
Jesus was quiet before His accusers, only answering if there was good reason. Many times He said nothing. (See Matthew 27:12-14)
There is another descriptive chapter, and if you know the life and suffering of Jesus you will see Him in its words. In fact, this happened in a school classroom.
The young people were asked to bring a Bible to class, and everyone was to choose a verse of Scripture to read out loud. There were some Jewish youth in the class and they said to be fair the Christians should only read the ‘Old Testament’. Everyone agreed.
When it came time for the readings, the Christians read verses that spoke of the Messiah. Some chose Isaiah, and some chose one of David’s psalms. All the children read a verse. It was not long before the Jewish young people protested, saying, ‘It is not fair. We said everyone should read the Bible we agree with.’ You can imagine their surprise when they were told that every verse had been from ‘their’ Bible.
Here are some of the verses. The very first words are ones Jesus quoted while on the cross. (See Matthew 27:46)
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?….
All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him….
They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me; the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me; they pierced my hands and my feet…. The look and stare upon me.” Psalm 22:1.7.8.13-17.
This psalm of David was more than 500 years before Jesus was born. When David, under inspiration penned the words, “they pierced my hands and my feet”, he did not have complete understanding.
The apostle Peter tells us that the prophets “testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was reported, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now revealed unto you by them….” 1 Peter 1:11.12.
Today we can look back and see Jesus hanging upon the cross, and know that prophecy has been fulfilled.
Zechariah wrote, “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” Zechariah 12:10.
Isaiah wrote that the Messiah would make “intercession for the transgressors”, and Jesus did pray for His persecutors. Isaiah 53:12. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for the know not what they do.” Luke 23:34.
The attitude of those who hated Him is also recorded.
“I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.” Psalm 109:25. The New Testament says, “They that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads.” Matthew 27:39.“Likewise also the chief priests mocking… said…. He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if he will have him.” Matthew 27:41.43
Do you Want to Know the Future?
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