3. JESUS BEFORE JESUS – THE PAIN

Before I delve into the crux of the matter for this episode, let me issue the notice I’ve given for each episode: All discussions in this series will be based on scripture. We established that the Bible is historically and archeologically proven to be true through the materials provided in the Intro here. You can check out the rest of the series here. 😉

If you’re reading this, it means Jesus didn’t come for us within last week😁. That means we have another week to delve deeper into the Word. Welcome back! 😊 We started with the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the birth of Jesus in chapters 7 and 9. We’re going to jump today to Chapter 53 – Isaiah’s prophecy about the suffering of this messiah who would come. Isaiah writes:

He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care [verse 3] He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death. Verse 9 [NKJV]

The Amplified version says:

‘His grave was assigned with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.’

New English Translation:

‘They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb.’

If you weren’t running away from Sunday school to chase the ice cream man😂, you’d know the story of the circumstances surrounding the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Luke recorded it simply as:

Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there– Jesus on the centre cross, and the two criminals on either side. [Luke 23:32 – 33]

When he eventually died, all four gospels recorded that:

As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who was one of Jesus’ followers, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance as he left. [Matthew 27:57 – 60, Mark 15:43-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42]

To be hung on a cross was a curse in Israel. Paul reminded the Galatians in Chapter 3:13 of what God had already commanded in Deuteronomy 21:22 – 23:

If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.

Trust the Jews to sharply execute anything that involved meting out judgement to people. They buried criminals shamefully! But the prophet Isaiah gave this corroborative evidence 700 whole years before the event, that though this Messiah would be killed with criminals and appointed to be buried with them, he would end up in a rich man’s tomb. It’s beautiful, no?😊

Isaiah’s book captures so many more prophecies of the Messiah:

Chapter 11:1 on His ancestry [Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root] confirmed in Matthew 1 and 2.

Chapter 40:3&4 spoken of John the Baptist’s prophecy of Jesus – A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God confirmed in Luke 3:3-5.

Chapter 42 – Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise His voice in public. He will not crush the weakest red or put out a flickering candle. Finally He will cause justice to be victorious. And His name will be the hope of all the world – verses 1-3. These exact words were spoken about Jesus in Matthew 12:17.

Chapter 50:6 confirmed in Matthew 26:67, Chapter 6:9-10 in Matthew 13:10-15 and 34-35, etc. 

Permit me to remind you that Isiah wrote these things 700 years before they happened, and his prophecies were corroborated by four different writers who walked with the man Jesus while He walked the earth😊. Even if we wanted to assume that the disciples connived to give accounts that matched the prophecies of Isaiah, we cannot justify the minute details such as His crucifixion on a cross, and with criminals which happened by virtue of the fact that people who were not His followers took these decisions. How do you convince the very people who hated Him to act in accordance with these prophecies of old? And when you think about it, these were Teachers of the Law who read the Old Testament out loud to the people of Israel and were in charge of reminding them about God’s promised Messiah. If they had realized their actions fell in line with these prophecies, they could have easily either stopped so as to prevent these prophecies from happening. This is why its authenticity is unquestionable, and the consistency and accuracy of our faith is unmatched by any other faith!

We could keep going if we wanted to stay in the book of Isaiah, but let me leave the rest to your thirst🤤. Till we meet again next week fam,

Remain Rooted!

 Rad!😉