Jesus Foretold His Death and Resurrection 4 Separate Times.
Jesus Foretold His Death and Resurrection 4 Separate Times.
This is a follow up to the previous Blog, “Did Jesus Repeat Himself?”; but this deals with a single and extremely important topic, his death and resurrection.
On 4 separate occasions, as recorded in one gospel, Matthew’s, Jesus clearly said that he would be killed, but he would rise from the dead on the 3rd day.
The first time, to the disciples after Peter’s confession, at Caesarea Philippi:
“From that time on, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day.” Mat 16:21
The second time, while they were in Galilee:
“While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were extremely sorrowful.” Mat 17:22-23 (Mrk 9:31; Luk 10:42)
The third time, when they were going up to Jerusalem for the Triumphal Entry:
“As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes. And they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him, but on the third day He will rise.” Mat 20:17-19 (Mak 10:34; Luk 18:33)
The forth time, 2 days before eating the Last Supper:
“When Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to be crucified.” Mat 26:1-2
Note these are all in Matthew’s gospel, chapters 16, 17, 20, and 26; there can be no confusion, these are 4 different events.
These are not predictions. A prediction is when, based on circumstances, a person says, “I predict ‘xyz’ will happen.” For example, based on the Yankees star pitcher breaking his arm, and being out for the rest of the season, I predict they will not win the World Series. A prediction is an educated guess.
Nor are Jesus statements so vague and so convoluted, that they could mean anything you want them to mean! Like the “predictions/prophecies” made by people at the start of a New Year, as found in newspaper horoscopes; or “prophecies” of people like Nostradamus?
The main point: Jesus knew what was going to happen!
Jesus is telling us beforehand what will happen, because this had been pre-determined by God, in the Inter-Trinitarian Plan of Redemption, before the foundation of the world.
Jesus clearly says he will die, because he will be betrayed by Judas, into the hands of the Jewish leaders, who want to kill him, but cannot because the legal right of capital punishment has been removed from them by the Romans who had conquered them, so he will be crucified, which was the Roman form of execution, and he will then rise on the 3rd day.
He did not predict this would happen, because of inductive reasoning, based on the fact that the Jews did not like him; he knew it would happen, because he and the Father and the Holy Spirit had pre-determined, pre-ordained that it would happen.
“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Act 2:23
On those four (4) separate occasions, Jesus clearly and specifically says the following:
1) He would be betrayed.
2) He would be betrayed into the hands of the Jewish leaders.
3) He would then be turned over to the gentiles, the Romans, to be killed.
4) He would be killed in Jerusalem.
5) He would first be mocked, scourged, and spit on.
6) He would be killed by the Romans, which means he would be crucified. He already had said that in Jhn 3:14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up”.
7) He would rise from the dead.
8) He would rise on the 3rd day, and if we add Jhn 2:18-22, we see him saying this at the very start of his ministry.
“Then the Jews said to Him, “What sign do You show us, seeing that You do these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking concerning the temple of His body. Therefore, when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them.” Jhn 2:18-22
And we can add this addition statement:
In Mat 12: 39-40 he said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
That would raise the number to 6 times that he said the same thing.
His statements were so clear, and so well known, that they were the basis for the Jewish leaders asking Pilate for a guard to watch the tomb, saying to Pilate in Mat 27:63, “Sir, we remember this deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.”
There are several things to gather from this:
1) Jesus knew beforehand all of the details of his death.
2) If he had wanted, he could have prevented it. See Matt 26:52-54.
3) Jesus was not taken by surprise by any of the events; he was driving the car, he was steering the ship!
4) Jesus was not carried along by these events, rather he was the active, controller of them; he specially went to Jerusalem; he told Judas when to leave to get the solders; he told the solders to let the disciples go; he told Peter “This has to happen.”
5) The plan did not DEVELOP, as things went along; the plan was foreordained and events UNFOLDED according to The Plan.
And The Plan, made before the foundation of the world, was that the Son would carry the sins of those people whom The Father ordained would be saved. He would carry their sins to the cross, and there on the cross he would suffer the penalty and just wrath of God for those sins, for the specific individual sins, of specific individual people.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh (who is taking away, present tense) the sin of the world.” Jhn 1:29
That was said before he died.
“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” 1Pe 1:19-20
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1Pe 2:24
And the Holy Spirit would then call them, with an inner call, out of their death and sin and darkness, and give them life and faith.
Regarding Jesus’ death, we say it was Sacrificial, Substitutionary, Propitiatory, and Atoning.
Sacrificial = he was killed, that we might live. Like the animal that God killed, to cover Adam and Eve when they sinned.
Substitutionary = he took our place. He dies, that we might live.
“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.” Isa 53:5
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure (The Plan) of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” Isa 53:10
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isa 53:12
Read all of Isa 53!
Propitiatory = which simply means “wrath appeasement”; the wrath of God that should have been poured out on us because we are the ones who are sinning, God the Father poured out on Jesus.
“He was wounded for our transgressions”
“He was bruised for our iniquities”
“The chastisement to get us peace, was laid upon him”
“By the stripes laid upon him, we are healed”
“It please the Lord to bruise him, instead of us”
“He, the Lord, put him, Jesus, to grief”
Atoning = it canceled, paid for, removed, blotted out our sins, and allowed for restoration with God.
So to sum up, the four (4) verses in Matthew’s gospel, along with the other 2 verses, show that Jesus was fully aware of all that was awaiting him; he was not an innocent victim, he was an active participant, who would not be deterred from the part he was to play in redeeming his people.
“And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,” Luk 9:51
Prior to his birth it was said to Joseph, “She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS (which means “savior”), for He will save His people from their sins.” Mat 1:21
Not might, but will.
There is an eternal plan, of cosmic proportions, with eternal results, which Jesus, with full knowledge, would not be deterred from completing.
Many people like to think Jesus was a victim – no!
He knew everything that was going to happen, and he wanted everyone to know that he knew it, which is why on 4 different times, with many people hearing him, he clearly said so.
“Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am.” Joh 13:19
Jesus was no victim, he was, is, the sovereign Lord accomplishing his will.
26 February 2024