Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Proverbs 16
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Mark 9:12-13
Jesus: To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Peter, James, and John get to see first hand the glory of Jesus as He talks with Moses and Elijah on the mountain top one day. He is clothed in garments brighter than the sun. The three of them are not just bathed in light, but radiate light so bright that the men cannot look at them. These three, the inner circle of Jesus’ closest disciples witness the most amazing sight they have ever seen. They have no doubts at this point that Jesus is the incarnate God. He came from heaven to rescue His people from the oppression and burden the guilt of sin lays upon each of us.
They fall on their face as the three figure in front of them converse. They don’t know what the three talk about in the short distance beyond them. They speak quietly among themselves and the disciples are so overwhelmed with the spectacle in front of them that the words would not register with them even if they could hear. These three just remain awed by the presence and power of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
After a few minutes, the light fades, Moses and Elijah are gone. Jesus stands alone and returns to His three friends. They rise and Peter offers the suggestion to build three tabernacles in honor of the three figures they just witnessed on the mountain top. Jesus refuses. Then the questions about the days leading up to the final judgment. Isn’t Elijah supposed to usher in the Messiah?
And Jesus answers their question implying John the Baptist served as Elijah, the prophet in the wilderness proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. The one heralding the good news that the Anointed One had come to redeem His people from the evil of this world. Peter, James, and John, the three closest friends of Jesus would become the pillars of the early church. Because of what Jesus shared with them in these intimate moments, they would never falter from the faith. These moments would cement their knowledge that Jesus was God incarnate.
But in this exchange, Jesus mentions one more thing at the end that many forget when they look at Jesus’ life and the way His lives of those around Him turned and twisted during His time on earth. “Just as it is written about him.” In those few words we can be assured that Jesus is who He said He is. Many around the world today will tell you that Jesus was a good man, a prophet, a wise teacher, but God? No. They just can’t believe it.
But look at these few words and then think about the probability that Jesus could fulfill all the prophecies about Him if He were not the Messiah. Some might say, “Well, He just studied the scriptures and followed along to make sure He did what the prophecies said.” But that doesn’t quite work, does it? How would He influence His virgin birth? Don’t think that’s possible. How would He influence Joseph and Mary leaving Bethlehem and escaping Herod’s murder of all the infants as a child less than two years old? Don’t think that hold much merit either, but there’s prophecy about it. How could Jesus make His parents live in Bethlehem, then Egypt, then resettle in Nazareth so all the prophecies could be fulfilled about Him before He was a teenager? Not possible unless He really is the Messiah.
Then look past His childhood. He did all the things the Old Testament said He would do. He taught, He prophesied, He healed, He became the sacrificial lamb for us. He did everything scripture talked about. So maybe His everyday actions as an adult could be a checklist of things He needed to do as Messiah. Maybe if we really stretched we could come up with a checklist and say someone could figure out how to create that itinerary.
But if He could make the checklist from the scriptures, how could He get the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests and Romans to play along? After all, they didn’t want anyone to recognize Him as the Messiah. They were doing their best to discredit Him, right? So why would they fulfill scripture by hanging Him on the tree, crucifying Him? Why would the Romans cast lots for His garments? They didn’t know they were fulfilling centuries old prophecy and certainly wouldn’t have if they knew. Why would they not break His legs as was their custom when they wanted to make sure they were speeding up the execution process? It would have taken little more effort or time snap Jesus’ shins than to thrust a spear into His side. So why fulfill prophecy if Jesus were not the Messiah? The Romans didn’t know any better. The Pharisees and chief priests would certainly have stopped it if they remembered.
What’s the probability that anyone could fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled? Peter Stone and Robert Newman wrote a book several years ago entitled Science Speaks that determined the probability of the fulfillment of just eight of those prophecies – 1 in a quadrillion. That’s one with seventeen zero’s behind it. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. So just based on statistical analysis alone, I’d say odds are pretty good Jesus is the Messiah. Just as it is written. What do you think?
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