The Scarlet Thread of Redemption
Part 5 – Accused by False Witnesses – The Righteous One – Lost Cast for His Garments
“All of the Bible is about Jesus and about His blood redemption. There are two threads that run all the way through the Bible. One is the scarlet thread of blood redemption; the other is the golden thread of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, how wonderful it is to trace both of these all the way through the Bible.” – Adrian Rogers
In the course of the next two months, we will trace the red river of redemption through the Scriptures from the Old Testament into the New Testament. You will see a few of the many prophecies of a Messiah – a Redeemer. Who would pay for the sins of fallen man and their fulfilment centuries later in Jesus Christ. Beginning in the Garden of Eden with the first prophecy and continuing through Revelation, the blood of Jesus is revealed over and over to be our Scarlet Thread of Redemption. As you read these prophecies and their fulfilment along with Dr. Rogers’ explanations, I want to encourage you to not only see Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, but to know Him. If you read the Bible and don’t see Jesus, read it again, because you missed the message. Without Him all these things become a dead-end road, leading to nowhere.
Accused by False Witnesses
Prophecy Proclaimed: “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not (Psalms 35:11).”
“ …. What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? … (Matt. 27:22).” No greater question could ever be asked. It is a pressing question that demands an answer.
Pilate was confronted with Jesus Christ. He came face to face with Him, and he had to answer the question of what to do with Jesus. He had Jesus on his hands. Jesus was inescapable, inevitable, and unavoidable.
Pilate was no fool. Pilate was an understanding man. He was a thinking man. He knew that Jesus Christ was on trial for trumped-up charges. Pilate knew that every accusation against Jesus Christ was false. He had heard every accusation and every witness, and his conscience thundered.
Jesus Christ Himself presented Pilate with the truth. He gave him a clear declaration of Who He was, and Pilate was convinced. I believe with all of my heart and all my soul that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was the Christ.
Pilate tried to ignore Him, to let Herod make the decision, and to say nice things about Jesus. He even offered the crowd the choice to free Jesus instead of Barabbas. Then in an attempt to rid himself of blame, he took water and washed his hands, but I want you to know that oceans of water could not have washed away Pilate’s guilt.
As Pilate stood there with Jesus before him, he failed to realize that he too was before Jesus. The Truth stood before Pilate that day, but he chose to be misled. Pilate made the worst decision of all. May we be a true witness for Jesus in this day, defeating the false witnesses that still accuse Him.
Prophecy Fulfilled: “And there arose certain, and bear false witnesses against Him, saying, We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands (Mark 14:57-58).”
The Righteous One
Prophecy Proclaimed: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:5-6).”
During the week of Passover when Jesus died, He entered the city of Jerusalem in what is called the triumphal entry. As the Lord Jesus was coming down the Mount of Olives, the Passover lambs were coming out of Bethlehem’s fields, at the same time the Lord Jesus was coming in through the Eastern Gate, those lambs were coming in through the Sheep Gate.
On the temple mount they were examining the Lord Jesus. They were trying to find some fault in Him, but Pilate had to confess “… I find no fault in this Man (Luke 23:4).” At the same time, those little lambs were being examined because the Passover lamb had to be without spot or blemish. They even examined the eyelids to make certain that they were the perfect sacrifice.
Jesus went from having the Passover meal – the Last Supper – with His disciples, to the Garden of Gethsemane. And by nine the next morning, as Jesus was headed for Calvary, the priests were sharpening their lethal knives for the sacrifice of those little Passover lambs.
When Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross at three in the afternoon, bowed His head and cried, “It is finished (John 19:30),” the priests were lifting up the chins of those perfect little lambs and cutting their throats.
Friend, when Jesus died, the priests were no longer needed. Those shepherds didn’t need to raise any more lambs out in the fields of Bethlehem because God’s perfect Lamb died for our sins. He is the Holy One, the Righteous One, the Perfect Sacrifice.
Prophecy Fulfilled: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).”
Lots Cast for His Garments
Prophecy Proclaimed: “They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture (Psalm 22:18).”
It is amazing, absolutely, indescribably amazing as you study the prophecies that deal with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? If you were to read Psalm 22 it would sound as though it were written by a person standing at the very foot of the cross, yet it was written centuries before the Lord Jesus Christ was born.
Centuries before it took place, the psalmist gave us a step-by-step, blow-by-blow, location-by-location, graphic description of the crucifixion right down to the minutest detail, where the Roman soldiers gambled, cast lots for His seamless robe, and gave Him vinegar to drink. Then Jesus cried, “It is finished.”
Every jot, every tittle, every minutia of prophecy had to be fulfilled. The ancient Egyptians used to say, “We build like giants, but we finish like jewelers.” Isn’t it amazing that the gigantic work of redemption was done in such broad, powerful, awesome strokes; yet the finest, most minute detail was put upon the canvas of redemption by the great artist, the Lord Jesus Christ?
As He put that last little stroke on the canvas, Jesus knew that was it. Every prophecy had been fulfilled, and He said, “It is finished (John 19:30).”
What’s the lesson for you and me today? Just as accurately as the prophecies concerning His first coming were fulfilled, those concerning His second coming will also be fulfilled.
– Adrian Rogers
PS… In the New Year I want to do more postings on the end times (our generation) as described in Scripture and the end time events, leading up to the Second Coming of Christ Jesus. I get people asking me, “When is Jesus coming back?” Yes, that is an important question, and I will address that question and many more pertaining to the times of the end as laid out by God in His book called the “Bible.” Fulfilled prophecy is evidence that the Bible can be trusted. What I find intriguing and captivating today are the hundreds of unfulfilled prophecies concerning Christ and His Second Coming. The very same prophets who so accurately portrayed the First Coming of Christ, also portrayed clearly His Second Coming and the conditions of the end times. What’s really exciting is that we, our generation, get to witness these events in our time as they are unfolding before our very own eyes. Understanding prophecy gives us an eternal perspective on life.
Oscar
Oscar Leske
F/B – Signs Of Our Times
Understanding The Signs Of Our Times.com