[0:00] We live in a day when it's hard to discover just what is the truth. Lies and deceptions abound. Claiming to be truth, even under oath and court of law, pictures and videos can be doctored up to appear to be the truth.
[0:20] And we see it with our eyes and we think, oh, that's true, but not necessarily. Different news sources can put such different spins on the same event that we hardly know what really happened.
[0:33] And it's against that confusing background that our God speaks into our world, this book. I trust we're coming to love it more and more, the more we see the twisting and the lying that fills the earth today.
[0:53] In John chapter 18, Jesus' words to Pilate when he was on trial, For this reason I was born and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth.
[1:07] Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. There he is. I am the truth. And everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me.
[1:19] But if you're not listening to Jesus, you're listening to the devil, as we saw this morning. The liar and father of lies.
[1:30] In Revelation 1.5, the apostle John speaks of Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness. What does it take to have a faithful witness? It's somebody who always and only speaks the truth.
[1:43] And that's our Lord. He is the faithful witness. He said, I am the way, the truth. And being the truth, that's what he is and that's what he lives and that's what he speaks.
[1:57] He cannot lie. So that should give us such a confidence in his word that we can safely listen to him and then build our lives upon what he has said and never in all eternity coming to regret our decision to trust him, to take him at his word.
[2:15] Now, there were a couple events in the last week of our Lord's life that ought to be a great encouragement to us who live by faith and build our lives upon the words of Jesus.
[2:26] The first is found in Luke chapter 19 and verses 28 to 36. This is Jesus last week before the crucifixion.
[2:39] And he gives instructions here to two of his disciples to go into the next village and to fetch a colt for his entry into Jerusalem as Israel's king.
[2:55] And as I read it, I want you to count how many things Jesus says will happen on this errand that he sends them on.
[3:06] How many specific things does he state are going to happen? It's Luke 19, 28 to 36. After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem.
[3:19] And as he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples saying to them, go to the village ahead of you. And as you enter it, you'll find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.
[3:34] Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you untying it? Tell them the Lord needs it. Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.
[3:48] As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, why are you untying the colt? They replied, the Lord needs it. They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.
[4:01] And as he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. How many things did you come up with? I found at least six.
[4:16] It would be in the village ahead of you that you find this colt. Not in any other village, but that one. And secondly, it will be as you enter the village, not halfway through the village or on the other side of the village, but as you're entering it.
[4:31] Number three, you're going to find a colt there. Not a filly, but a colt. A young male donkey. And number four, it will be tied there.
[4:43] It will be not grazing off of a leash in the barnyard, but tied there. And number five, no one has ever ridden it.
[4:54] It's not broken in. It's not used to riders. Number six, untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, why are you untying it? Tell them the Lord needs it. And indeed, that's exactly what happened.
[5:09] These six very detailed things that Jesus predicted. Can we trust Jesus every word? Verse 32 tells us, Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.
[5:26] So they trusted their master when he told them and sent them on the errand. And sure enough, they found he was totally trustworthy down to the very last detail.
[5:39] A little bit later, four days later, I think to be exact, chapter 22 of Luke. Luke, it's the day of the Last Supper. And in verses 7 to 9, we read, Then came the day of unleavened bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
[6:00] Jesus sent Peter and John saying, Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover. Where do you want us to prepare it? They asked. So again, it's this last week.
[6:13] And Peter and John are sent. Were they the two that were sent before? We don't know. Perhaps. And as I read this account, Count up the items prophesied by Jesus.
[6:25] Verses 10 to 13. He replied, As you enter the city, A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters. And say to the owner of the house, The teacher asked, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?
[6:42] He will show you a large upper room, All finished. All furnished. Make preparations there. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them.
[7:00] So they prepared the Passover. How many things did you find here predicted? I found at least 10 or 11. As you enter the city, Jerusalem, Again, not halfway or on the other side, As you're entering the city.
[7:18] Second, there'll be a man, Not a woman. We know the difference, don't we? A man, not a woman. Third, He'll be carrying a jar of water.
[7:30] Not a bottle of wine, But a jar of water. Fourth, Fourth, He'll meet you. He'll be coming towards you. You'll not catch up with him walking away from you. Number five, Follow him to the house he enters.
[7:43] The house he enters. It won't be a store. It won't be a barn. It'll be a house. And number six, You'll find out it's not his own house, But it's his master's house.
[7:56] And number seven, You're to say to the owner of the house, The teacher asks, Where's the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? So there will be a guest room in his house. And number eight, He'll show you a room, A large room.
[8:10] This guest room will not be a small room, But a large room. And number nine, It will not be on the lower level, But it will be an upper room, On the upper level. And it will not be empty, But will be all furnished, With all the utensils that we will need, As thirteen men, To sit down and eat the Passover meal.
[8:29] Make preparations there. In other words, There will be room in this, This room, The owner will make it available to you.
[8:41] So make preparations. Again, The two heard these great details given. And Peter and John left, And they found things just as Jesus had told them.
[8:54] So they prepared the Passover. They trusted the words that Jesus spoke, And they found Him absolutely trustworthy. Not even one of His words failed, In any of the minutest points.
[9:08] Now why such demonstrations, For the apostles, Down to every word being fulfilled. And why to His disciples? And why then?
[9:19] Why at this point? I believe Jesus is stooping, To encourage their faith, The faith of the disciples, In His other words, That He had been speaking to them.
[9:30] Things that were just about to be fulfilled, Before their eyes, Even as these fulfillments were seen. Things that they could not bring themselves, To believe. Though He said them.
[9:41] We find it in Luke chapter 18, Just one of many places, But the most recent time, That He speaks to them. In Luke 18, verse 31, Jesus took the twelve aside, And told them, We're going up to Jerusalem, And everything that is written by the prophets, About the Son of Man, Will be fulfilled.
[10:01] He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, Insult Him, Spit on Him, Flog Him, And kill Him. And on the third day, He will rise again. The disciples did not understand, Any of this.
[10:14] Its meaning was hidden from them, And they did not know, What He was talking about. So He's on His way, To Jerusalem for the Passover, The last time, Before His death.
[10:27] And, Yeah, He gives, I counted, Nine specific things, That He predicted would happen, That He would be handed over. Not just the Gentiles, Would go out looking for Him, To kill Him, But, It would be His own Jewish leaders, That would hand Him over, To the Gentiles.
[10:49] And, They'll mock Him, Insult Him, Spit on Him, Flog Him, And kill Him. Five more things. And then, Two more. On the third day, He will rise again.
[11:01] Not just He will rise, Again from the dead, That's amazing enough, But it will be on the third day, Not the second, Or the fourth day, But on the third day. And these words were spoken, As I said, Just a few days, Before they saw these other two remarkable events, Fulfilled down to the specific detail, Where they found everything happened, Just as Jesus said they would.
[11:24] I think, Jesus is, Is, Is wanting to bolster their faith. You can take me at my word, Men. Everything that I say, Even the things that you don't understand, You are to take me at my word, About my rejection, My death, My resurrection.
[11:44] But if these events of Jesus' Every word being fulfilled, Were only meant to strengthen the faith of the disciples, They wouldn't have needed to be written down for us.
[11:55] They wouldn't need to be in our Bible, For they would have strengthened the faith of the disciples, And end of story. But I, I'm sure that, These events of Jesus being fulfilled, Down to the detail, Were not only meant to strengthen the disciples' faith, But, As Romans 15 and verse 3 says, That everything, That was written in the past, Was written to teach us, So that through endurance, And the encouragement of the scriptures, We might have hope.
[12:25] We might put our hope in God's word, And in the very words that Jesus has spoken, This is meant to strengthen our faith and hope. This is Jesus stooping to our weakness, That we might believe his word.
[12:42] Because there are still some things, That Jesus promised to do, That we've not yet seen. Believers, He said he would keep you to the end, So that none of his sheep will be lost.
[12:54] You're not at the end yet. Will he keep it? He said that he would work all things together for good, To those who love God, And are called according to his purpose. We haven't seen all things work together for good yet.
[13:08] He said nothing can separate you from his love. He said his goodness and mercy would follow you, All the days of your life. He said our present sufferings are not worth comparing, With the glory to be revealed in us.
[13:21] He said he's coming back in power, In great glory, With all of his father's angels with him. To take us to be with him, That we might be with him forever. He said he's going to give a shout, That will wake all the dead, And call them to judgment.
[13:35] That he will destroy all of his enemies, That he'll present us before the throne, Without fault, And with great joy, Dressed in his righteousness, That he will reward the righteous, For everything they've ever done for him.
[13:47] And he said, We're going to see him face to face, And be made like him. No more sin, Perfectly conformed to his likeness, Not just in soul, But our lowly bodies, Transformed into the likeness of his glorious body.
[14:05] He said he would make all things new, Not so yet. A new heavens, A new earth, The new Jerusalem, Coming down to this earth.
[14:17] The whole creation, Liberated from its bondage to decay, Set free from this frustration. No more death, Mourning, Crying, Pain, Or curse. When peace will reign, And a perfect world of love, And fullness of joys, And eternal pleasures, Will be our experience, And all glory will resound to God, Throughout his universe, And throughout the endless ages, And our joy and bliss, Will never perish, Spoil or fade, But will only grow, Through the endless ages.
[14:52] And the one seated on the throne, Will say, Revelation 21 5, Write this down, For these words, Are trustworthy and true.
[15:05] So, These things that he has said of us, These things that he has promised us, Here we are, 2022, Still walking by faith, Not by sight, Faith in his word, But one day, It will all happen, And we'll be saying to one another, You know, Everything happened, Just as he said it would.
[15:32] Everything, Everything happened, Just as he said it would. So let this give us, Confident expectation, Of every word of Christ, Of every word of Christ, Of every word of Christ, Being fulfilled, His word never fails, Nothing of it, Falls to the ground, Unfulfilled, It fulfills the very purpose, For which he sent it.
[15:52] Oh, If that doesn't make you love your Bible, And hold fast to that word, That is so trustworthy, And true. You know, There was a, Another event, That the gospels tell us about, When the folks came from the temple, To collect the temple tax, From Peter and Jesus, And, Peter's outside, Talking with them, And when he comes in, The Lord says, They're wanting the tax, Aren't they?
[16:21] Who do, People receive, Taxes from? From the king, And his sons? No, They have exemption. So, In one sense, Jesus and Peter, Should be exempt.
[16:34] The king, And his, Child, Peter. But he says, So that we don't, Give offense, Let's pay them, The two, The two drachma, For each of us.
[16:46] Four drachma is what we owe. So, You go down to the lake, And cast in your hook, And the first fish you catch, Not, Not the second, Not the third, The first one, You'll find a four drachma coin.
[17:00] Not four one drachma coins, But one four drachma coin, In his mouth, Not in his stomach. That's the end of the story.
[17:12] Wouldn't you like to know, Did it happen, Just as Jesus said it would? Well, You can bet it did. He didn't even need to tell us, That's the end, Period. And none of us are saying, Well, I wonder if that happened.
[17:23] Why aren't we saying that? Because by now, We know, That when Jesus speaks, It happens. What a privilege, To have so many, Of his words, For us to build our lives upon, Even as he said, At the end of that, Sermon on the Mount, That whoever hears, These words of mine, And puts them into practice, Will be like a house, A man who built his house, On the rock.
[17:48] And it will withstand, All the storms of this life, And the storm of that final judgment. And we'll see that, Everything happened, Just as Jesus said it would.
[18:00] Well, Let's take our song sheet once more. I'm wanting to grind this into you, So that we can put the sheets away, And just sing it from the overhead. So let's stand and sing once again, Come behold the wondrous mystery.
[18:14] We've seen another mystery this morning, Or this afternoon, Haven't we? The mystery of Jesus' word, Being the thing that controls history, And he speaks, And history simply fulfills his words.
[18:27] Thank you, Father, For your precious word.
[18:39] You've exalted above all things, Your name and your word, And we have this word, As a lamp to our feet, And a light to our path. Thank you that it gives us this living hope, That just as you said, Because I live, You too will live.
[18:53] And that we have this, Unwavering hope of all that you've promised, Finding one day, That it all happened, Just as you said. We bless you for being the truth, And telling us the truth, And that you gave us eyes to see it, And a heart to believe it.
[19:11] Help us to honor you then, This week, By taking you at your word, We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you. We're dismissed. Thank you.