Historical Fiction for the Passover

Thank you, Mr. DeCampos, and good afternoon. Hold on. Good morning. Almost afternoon to all of you. It is a pleasure to be here and a pleasure to accompany the choir. I thank you. I understand we have those who are normally here in Lexington, several who are normally in Louisville, some from London, some old friends from Pressonsburg, Kentucky, and of course the ABC students are from all over the place. I want to say to the students, you made me get chills in my spine again, so I don't get that easily, but you guys are doing great. Wherever we go, I like to brag on how well the students do. They do well academically as well. They don't just spend all their time practicing singing. The honest truth is they have very little time to practice, so it's amazing how well they do. I do want to give credit to Mr. Shoemaker. Ken Shoemaker started the choir the very first year that there was an ABC. I was just thinking, we've had instructors come and go, but he's been constant. He does it without pay. He does it because he loves it, and he really instills not only an appreciation and ability to deliver fine music, but to understand how it praises God. So, I probably am not saying as much as is deserved by the students or Mr. Shoemaker, but I've got to get to my sermon. And I want to introduce it by saying I'm doing something a little different today. This is a different style of a sermon, and it verges onto what you might call historical fiction. I don't know if any of you have read that type of thing where you take a true setting, real characters, but you fill in some of the things you don't know about what happened, but you do so in a way that is honest and true. So, I'm going to be recreating a conversation today. And please forgive me, I'll try to do voicing in a couple of different voices. You'll notice me reading a bit more than I normally do. And if the voices come across, I'll invite you to, in your imagination, just drift away and imagine the scene that I'm setting and try to ignore this big clock behind me, showing how far over time I'm going. But this would fit in with this particular time of year.

I'm going to read a lot of scripture, but I've got it printed in my notes, and because of the setting, I'm not going to invite you to turn as I go. There'll be scriptures that I'm sure most of you know. I will turn to a couple early on and then towards the end.

But otherwise, I invite you, this might be a type of sermon where you don't take very many notes, but you listen and just appreciate the importance of what we're celebrating and commemorating this time of year. So if you will, in your imagination, I want you to come with me. We're going to be going far back in time to an era that we call the first century A.D.

But at the time we're going to, the people call it the Rule of Caesar Augustus. Or, in the area where we're particularly going to focus on, they might call it the Rule of Herod Antipas. The Jews who are living in the Roman province of Palestine, at this time are well aware, they are only a mere remnant of what was once a mighty kingdom. A set of sacred writings guides the Jews' formal worship, and these writings claim to be given by the Creator God Himself. Some believe this a bit more than others. But these writings also tell of a national history, how the people here are descended from a great patriarch named Abraham.

Abraham's great-grandson and his great-grandchildren migrated to Egypt, and there they increased dramatically in number. But as that happened, they also were enslaved. Some generations later, a great leader and a lawgiver named Moses led the descendants of Abraham out of Egypt, and then to this area that the Romans now call Palestine. But our people called it the Promised Land. God had promised to give it to them, to us, His chosen people. Along with this history, Moses regarded a system of laws and of a formal worship of the one true God. Generations passed, and in time a great king arose named David.

He completed the unification of our various tribes and called the kingdom Israel after the grandson of Abraham. But it was only a couple of generations after that that Israel split into two smaller kingdoms. They both declined in power and wealth. Eventually, the northern kingdom, which retained the name of Israel, was conquered by the Assyrians. A great many of them killed, the rest taken away, dragged into captivity, never to return. A few generations later, the southern kingdom, which was called Judah, suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Babylonian Empire.

However, 70 years later, the Persian Empire that succeeded the Babylonians allowed some of Judah to return to their homeland, even to build a temple in Jerusalem on the same site as the one that the Babylonians had destroyed. For those Jews who study their sacred writings, this seemed to be the fulfillment of some predictions that could be found in those. I'm going to read from what we call Isaiah chapter 44, beginning in verse 28 and moving into the next chapter.

It says, It's important to note that this was written by the prophet Isaiah many years before the one named Cyrus was ever born. It continues, The scholars in Judah at this time also note an interesting prophecy in Jeremiah that in what we now call chapter 29 in verse 14, where God told his people, Those among us who believe these prophecies are a true revelation of a powerful God have searched the scriptures and noticed that various prophecies promise much more than a return from captivity.

Different passages of scripture speak of God sending a special person to lead his people. A deliverer. A ruler. This man is sometimes referred to as the coming one. More often we call him the anointed one, Messiah in the old Hebrew. But most people among us these days speak Aramaic or Greek, and we use the term Christos, or simply Christ, which still means anointed one. There are some scholars amongst this who claim that a prophecy written by Daniel predicted the time when this anointed one would appear. And the time seems to be now. Perhaps even it's already passed us by some years.

Now, in recent years, some men have come to prominence who convinced a few people that they were the Messiah. All of them only brought disappointment. Lately, though, a man from Galilee caused a big stir. Though he had only been a carpenter by trade, he was able to debate and discuss the sacred writings with the lawyers, the scribes, and the priests on their own level. He spoke with authority. Many people claim that he performed actual miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, producing food from nowhere. Could this man called Yeshua, or by alternate pronunciation, Jesus?

Could he be the Messiah, the Christ? This is the great question being discussed by two men who had been learning from Jesus and followed him and heard him speak. On this spring afternoon, we find them walking along the dirt road to a village some seven miles from Jerusalem.

Let's use our imagination to create an idea of what their conversation might have been like as they walked along that ancient road. In the first man I'll call Nicholas, along the way he might say something like, yes, I understand that Jesus did some pretty impressive things. How many of us were listening to him teach at the temple last autumn during the feast? But being popular does not make a man into a Messiah. His friend, named Cleopas, might give an answer that would sound something like this.

But I'm not saying that the number of people who follow him makes the difference. He commanded devils to come out of people, and demons obeyed. Who could do that but the anointed of God? Nicholas would reply saying, well, you know, some say that those people only pretended to be possessed by demons, that he set it all up, to which Cleopas says, yes, I know.

And some of the priests said that even if he did cast out devils, it was because he was in league with the prince of devils. That seems ridiculous to me. He's done so many good things. Yes, that's true. I was there when he made a blind man see. They said he'd been blind his whole life. Exactly! Who but the Messiah could do such things? I read in the skull of Isaiah the prophet where it said, Behold, your God will come to you with vengeance, with the recognition of God, or the recompense of God.

He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. Surely this is a prophecy of the great works of the Christ, and Jesus has done them. Nicholas would give thought and answer back. I believe that is so, but I read that scroll recently, too.

It also says, Water shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. And it says, The wilderness and the wastelands shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. Jesus may have healed the sick people, but he never healed the desert. Cleo drops his voice in some disappointment. Well, no, I suppose not. He did many other great things, though.

Perhaps he had more great works to do. This is when Nicholas says the obvious fact that has disturbed them so much all day. But he is dead now. How could normal people kill the Messiah? How could one who is dead ever have been the Christ?

Cleo shrugs his shoulders and looks down. I don't know. But what do you think then? What are the prophecies and of the perilous times that we live in? This would be when Nicholas's face brightens a little bit as he thinks of a concept he's been considering in his studying and pondering of the sacred writings.

I have an idea about that. We've been waiting for the Messiah to come, but perhaps he will not come until after Israel is restored as a great kingdom. Much of that prophecy has already occurred.

Consider Daniel's writings, how he interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. Do you mean the one of the great image made out of different metals? Yes. The emperor saw an image whose head was made of gold, his chest and arms formed of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, but its legs were made of iron. Does not the writing say that the eternal revealed to Daniel that each metal represented a great kingdom that ruled over other kingdoms and that the head represented Nebuchadnezzar himself?

That is what it says. Babylon was that head of gold. It says that then an inferior kingdom would follow, then another still more inferior, and another one after that. Think about it, Cleopas. That succession of kingdoms matches those that have ruled this land right up to this time.

Cleopas muses. You mean that as the gold represented the Babylonians, then so the silver stood for the Medes and Persians that conquered them. Then the brass must match the Greeks, whose Alexander conquered more than anyone else before him. Yes, and now we're ruled by the Romans. They're as strong as iron, and their culture is about as beautiful. That part of the prophecy, though, brings us to now. We are ruled by the legs of iron. Do you remember what happened next in the vision? Yes. Daniel wrote that a stone cut out without hands struck the great image on its feet and broke it to pieces that were blown away in the wind and never found again.

But that stone grew into a mountain that filled the whole earth. Prophecy says that that represents a kingdom set up by God, one that would never be destroyed. Now, listen to this. I read further on in that scroll. Daniel later describes a vision that he had, and it seems to have the same meaning as that statue of different metals. In this vision, Daniel saw four creatures rise up out of the sea. The first was a lion that had wings. I believe that represented Nebuchadnezzar, just like the head of gold. Then a bear rose up. That might match the chest and arms of silver, and that symbolized those Persians. Then came up a leopard with four wings, showing great speed, just like Alexander and the Greeks had. And the fourth creature, it says, was not like any on earth. Terrible, strong, breaking in pieces and devouring. This is just like the Romans and Caesar.

Cleo's been nodding and listening the whole time, but then he looks quizzical, and he asks, yes, perhaps this is true. The two visions might be the same, but what then? Nicholas has a look of satisfaction, realizing he knows something his friend does not. Next, Daniel wrote that the ancient of days took his throne. It was a fiery flame, and thousands and thousands ministered to him.

That must be the eternal, the God of Abraham. What it says after that is so marvelous. I wrote a copy out. Let me read it to you. I was watching in the night visions and behold, one like the son of man, coming in the clouds of heaven. He came to the ancient of days, and they brought it near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples and nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one which shall not be destroyed. Nicholas and Cleopas pause and wonder. Nicholas says, surely this son of man is the Christ. Perhaps Israel will become this everlasting kingdom that destroys Rome, and then Messiah will come. Could this be true? Cleopas is thinking quiet. He doesn't answer the question. He says, did you know that Jesus often called himself the son of man? Perhaps he thought this prophecy by Daniel was about him also. You know, Isaiah also prophesied of a great kingdom in his scroll. It said, now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains. It shall be exalted above the hills. All nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and rebuke many peoples. After quoting the scripture, Cleopas says, I believe this will be the time led by Messiah. Further on in that scroll, it says, there shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge by the side of his own eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness he'll judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he'll slay the wicked.

Nicholas listens intently, says, I see, but does it saying a rod from the stem of Jesse mean that Christ must be descended from David? I believe so. In the second scroll of Samuel, he records a prophecy to David. God told King David that his throne, his dynasty, would never or would be established forever. The Babylonians ended that dynasty, but God will revive it through the Messiah. A Messiah descended from David.

The prophet Amos wrote of that. He wrote, On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages. I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and the Gentiles who are called by my name.

Says the Lord who does this thing. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowmen will overtake the reaper, the treader of grapes, him who sows seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and all the hills flow with it.

I will bring back the captives of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in the land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land that I have given them, says the Lord their God. Nicholas listens, but he says, Well, see, Jesus did not do such things for our people. He was descended from David, though.

So they say, but they also say that his father wasn't really his father, if you know what I mean.

Yes, I've heard those rumors, but Jesus' mother Mary is also a direct descendant of David, and they say that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Do you remember the scroll of Micah, says, But you, Bethlehem, Ephertha, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be the ruler of Israel, whose goings forth are from old of everlasting.

Nicholas listens, but then he answers back, I understand. I agree. Jesus seemed like he might be the coming one. I hoped he was.

But how could he be? The Messiah is to rule. The Messiah is to conquer.

Not to be killed by the Romans. Sure, he preached and taught us from the scriptures like no one before. And sure, he may have healed people. Perhaps he was some other prophet.

In the scroll of Malachi, it says, Behold, I'll send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

But what Isaiah says of the Messiah is that unto us a child is born, unto us the Son is given, and the government. The government will be on his shoulders.

And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, of the increase of his government, and peace there will be no end upon the throne of David over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.

Do you see, Cleopas? The Messiah is to be a ruler, not only a teacher.

Perhaps you were right. To prophet Isaiah did write much concerning the Messiah.

I heard Jesus read one of those prophecies in synagogue 1 Sabbath.

Several years ago, it was near the end of the scroll, he stood up during synagogue service to read, and the spot he read said, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. But he stopped there. He didn't read the rest of the passage that says, And the day of vengeance of our God. Perhaps Jesus was only a prophet of the Christ.

Surely the Christ, when he comes, will bring the day of God's vengeance, not only preaching to the poor and healing the sick, perhaps. But wouldn't it be great if Messiah did come now?

As our friends continue along the way, a third man approaches. He calls out a greeting, and they respond in a friendly but subdued tone. He asks them if he might join them, as along the way they seem to be walking in the same way, and it's nice to have company.

Nicholas and Cleopas eagerly invite him to join them. And the new traveler then asks, What have you been discussing? For they seem somewhat intense and a bit sad. This is a surprise as Nicholas and Cleopas. They ask the man, Are you the only one in Jerusalem who does not know what we're talking about? And they explain that they had witnessed the crucifixion of the teacher named Jesus. And they talk about how he'd done so many amazing works, how he preached powerfully.

Challenging the authority of even the priests and the scribes, so that they conspired with the Romans to execute him. And to then to seal and guard his tomb. Cleopas says, We had hoped that he was the one, the Messiah, who would free Israel from the Romans and restore the kingdom to the glory that it had under Solomon. Nicholas adds, And to make things even more strange, it's been three days. Some of the women who knew him say that his body was taken from the tomb. And then the men who went to check on it, they couldn't find the body either. But they said they saw an angel who said that Jesus was alive. It all sounds so crazy. What are we to make of all this?

Then the new traveler surprises them by saying, You're being foolish and not believing all of what the prophets wrote about the Messiah. Nicholas asks, What do you mean? We've been discussing the prophecies about the Messiah all morning. We do believe. A stranger who's joined them then answers, Then you should realize that the Messiah, the Christ, did have to suffer.

He had to suffer, and after that, attained glory. The others remain silent, so the new comer continues. You must realize that the Messiah, the Christ, was not prophesied to glorify himself, but it says that the God of all creation is his Father. And the Father gives the Christ his work to do, and gives him position. The second psalm shows this. It says, I will declare the decree, The Lord has said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.

But the eternal says in another place, the hundred-and-tenth psalm, something that helps us to understand the Messiah's role. It says, The eternal has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. Do you remember from the book of the law that Melchizedek was a king of Salem? That is to say, a king of peace. And he was a priest of God's most tithe. He was so great that Abraham paid tithes to him, and Melchizedek blessed Abraham. So he must have been greater even than Abraham, because the lesser person is always blessed by the greater. The priesthood of Melchizedek must be even greater than the priesthood of Aaron, for that priesthood descended from Abraham. And, as I just said, Abraham acknowledged Melchizedek.

Now, the priest and the Levites offer sacrifices in the temple, as commanded by God. There is then no need for a priest after the order of Melchizedek to offer those sacrifices. The descendants of Aaron are already doing that. So if the Messiah is a priest of the order of Melchizedek, he must have some other sacrifice to offer. At this, Cleopas interrupts in confusion, what other sacrifice could there be? The stranger answers with confidence from the Scripture.

The prophet Isaiah explains that in his proxy of the Messiah. It says, Behold, my servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.

This was true of your Jesus for a time, was it not? But it continues, So his visage was marred more than any man. The marring was in the form of scourging. You saw him beaten, did you not? In his form more than the sons of men. So he shall sprinkle many nations. Is not the sprinkling of blood done when there is sacrifice?

Nicholas says, Well, yes. But you said the Messiah would not sacrifice animals, because the sons of Levi already do that. What other bloods could this mean, then?

At this, the stranger seems a little exasperated that they have not yet understood.

So he goes on to explain that the proxy of Isaiah makes it very clear if one only reads further.

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him. Now this does not mean that you two men rejected the Messiah and hid from him, but that the chosen people, the children of Israel, who should have loved him, instead rejected him. Isaiah shows the purpose, though, next.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him, stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. By his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way.

And the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to slaughter. And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Cleopas interrupts, showing some emotion. He says, Are you saying that this is a prophecy of the Christ? That the Messiah had to suffer because other people sinned?

Because every person has sinned. The penalty of sin is death. Without bloodshed, there can be no remission of sin and of its penalty. Isaiah says more. It tells us, He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. And therefore, I will divide him apportion with the great.

And he shall divide the spoiled with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death. And he was numbered for the transgressors. He bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Nicholas' face shows that he's astounded, but he believes. He says, I see it! The Messiah is the coming one, but he's to be a sacrifice for sin, for my sin. Cleopas adds, Then Jesus could be the Christ. He was not guilty, yet he was killed. He was crucified among transgressors, lawbreakers. They said that he did not even speak in his own defense.

He was mute, like the Lamb being led to slaughter. It sounds as though this prophecy was written about Jesus himself. The traveler nods, pleased at their growing understanding. So he offers more. He tells them that Isaiah was not the only prophet to write that the Christ would suffer. King David was inspired by God to record numerous prophecies within the Psalms. He says, the 22nd Psalm shows many details of the Messiah's suffering. It begins by saying, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In the common tongue, Eloi, Eloi, Llamas, Abaxanai.

Cleopas interrupts excitedly, saying, hey, I heard Jesus shout those very words while he hung crucified. The traveler assumes a distant look and he says quietly, yes, he did. After a thoughtful pause, he says, the proxy of the Psalm later says, I'm poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It's melted within me. My strength is dried up like a pot shard and my tongue clings to my jaws. You've brought me to the dust of death, for dogs have surrounded me. The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me.

They pierced my hands and my feet. Nicholas shudders under his breath. He says, that sounds like Jesus. He was beaten so badly. He was a mess. And then they nailed his hands and his feet to that beam. The traveler continues from memory. I can count all my bones. They look and they stare at me. They divide my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots. Cleopas can't restrain himself. I saw Roman soldiers do this.

They cast lots for Jesus's coat, rather than tear it in pieces. And after that, they each took some of his clothes. The traveler smiles slowly. He says, Now you are coming to the truth. Nicholas is in awe. After a moment of silence, a thought comes to him. So he asks, I see that prophecies do show that Jesus, the Christ, or that Christ must suffer, even die to pay for the sins of others.

But what of the many other prophecies that speak of Messiah ruling the nations, of being a king of kings? How can a dead Messiah do such things? Which of the prophecies is correct? The traveler allows a pause. He says, They are all correct, but they are not all for the same time. You know that Jesus suffered and died as the prophecies foretold. But do you know where Jesus is right now? No! The people say his body was taken. He was not in the tomb. What does this mean?

Another psalm of David gives the answer. The 16th psalm says, I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices.

My flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in the grave, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. David did not write these words about himself. He is dead and buried. His grave is there in Jerusalem to this day. David did not ascend to heaven. Cleopas nods and his eyes were widening, but Jesus's body did not remain in the grave. That's why it was not found. He is the Messiah. He suffered and died for our sins, but God would not allow him to remain dead.

The traveler agrees. Yes, Jesus did not remain dead. Consider what another psalm, the 66th, says. You have ascended on high. You have led captivity captive. This is a prophecy that after the anointed one suffers and dies to pay for the sins of others, he not only rises from the dead, but goes to the very heavens, to the throne of God. This is because the Christ belongs there.

He is the Son of God. Daniel the prophet also wrote of this. Cleopas says, yes, we read that and talked of it before you joined us. The second psalm says, I will declare the decree. The eternalist said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Nicholas appears to be thinking very hard, even as his feet keep moving down the road, and he says, Yes, breaking the nations to pieces. This is just like the prophet Daniel's vision of when the stone cut without hands strikes the image of the different metals. They shatter to pieces and blow away in the dust. Yes, now you begin to see how it progresses. After the Christ rises from the dead, he is ready to rule the earth as the Son of God.

The 45th Psalm tells us, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore, God, your God has anointed you, the Christ, with the oil of gladness, more than your companions. He is the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, and thus he is God. Cleopas responds, Yes, many have believed that the Christ might be God in some form, but they would never have believed that the Son of God could suffer and die, even though you've shown that the prophecies say it would be so.

This will cause some to stumble in their beliefs. Yes, this also was foretold in advance by the prophet Isaiah when he wrote, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. But he also wrote, A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and many among them shall stumble.

Nicholas adds, I remember a similar saying in the scroll of Habakkuk. There he wrote, Look among the nations and watch. Be utterly astounded. I will work a work in your days to which you would not believe though it were told you. Cleopas says, But isn't that prophecy about the conquering of Judah? The traveler speaks up and says, Yes, it was, but many prophecies may be fulfilled more than one time.

An important thing to remember is that the works of God are so great, they are beyond the ability of man to understand without revelation from the Father. But the blessings of the Father will indeed be very great. Just as Isaiah said, For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come to mind, but be glad and rejoice forever in what I create.

For behold, I create in Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her nor the voice of crying. Cleopas and Nicholas are both astounded and happy at the greater understanding that they now have of God's word. And they now are walking into the little town named Emmaus, and they see the inn where they plan to spend the night. Cleopas says to their traveling companion, You have opened the Scriptures to us in a new way, given us hope and excitement for the future.

Nicholas adds, Yes, it all makes sense, and I see that Jesus must have been the anointed one. The prophets foretold that he would suffer and die and pay for sins, and then rise to assume power and glory. But where is he now? When will they restore the kingdom to Israel?

I think most of you know what happens next in the story. If you want to join me and we can read it together, it's in Luke chapter 24. I couldn't help writing that, putting the irony of them asking where he is now, when we know where he was. In Luke 24, beginning in verse 29, But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us for its poor evening, and the day is far spent, and he went in to stay with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at the table with them, that he took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were open, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us on the road, and while he opened the scriptures to us? And it goes on to say that they got up and went all the way back to Jerusalem to share the good news.

I'm sure many of us have read this account many times. Of course, it begins in chapter 13 of this chapter. But rather than just read it, I thought it would be interesting to try to imagine what that conversation might be like. Part of what intrigued me about it is where, when Jesus first met them, he said, You are slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

And they answered back when they said, He opened the scriptures to us. What scriptures did they mean? Well, it had to be what we call the Old Testament. And Jesus had just been crucified. The Apostle Paul had written nothing. The book of Acts wasn't written, nor even any of the Gospels. So, he was using those scriptures to explain to Cleopas and his fellow. And I made up the name Nicholas.

I borrowed it from one of the original Seven Deacons. I thought that was as good a guess as any as who he might have been or what name he might have had. But as I thought of that, I thought it must be possible to do a pre-passover sermon using only Old Testament scriptures. And as far as citing scriptures, that's what I did up until we turned here to Luke.

Although I will note the words that I put in Jesus' mouth, many of those came from the book of Hebrews. And I thought that would make sense that he might inspire Paul with those words. And of course, there are other places. When Paul was explaining to the Jews at Rome why he was there as a prisoner in Acts 28 in verse 23.

I've got to be careful. I have all these printed in my notes, too. Although they're too small to read. There in Acts 28-23 it says, When they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus. He had to explain that this Jesus was the Messiah from both the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning until evening.

As I consider that, we don't have to wonder which scriptures Paul might have read. They were probably mostly the same ones that I just read. And Paul repeatedly, throughout all of his writing, quotes the Old Testament. Peter does that as well. And 1 Peter 1 in verse 10... Let me bring Peter into it as I'm wrapping up. I wasn't sure if we did 90-minute services here or two hours. So, as usual, I'll sort of split the difference. Actually, no I won't because I'm nearly done.

1 Peter 1 in verse 10... Uh-oh, I forgot about this Bible. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired, and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you, searching what or what matter of time the Spirit of Christ, what was in them, was indicating, when it testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. So, the prophets didn't understand, necessarily, that they were foretelling the sufferings of Christ. So, I see two important points we might draw from that. First, that before Christ actually came, many of the prophets didn't understand themselves fully how things would work. So, we don't have to be too critical of those in Christ's time who were looking for a conquering Messiah instead of a sacrifice for sins. That's what they expected. They didn't look for a Messiah who would be a sacrifice. But the second point we should note is that Peter said, after the suffering, glories would follow. The Messiah would not only be a sacrifice for sin. All of those prophecies of him conquering and ruling are also true. After Christ rose from the dead, he would not only be an immortal God-being, but he will return. He will fulfill those prophecies of ruling the nations, and in doing so, bring peace and happiness to all the earth. God's Spirit will be poured out. Many sons of God will come to glory. At this time of year, when we focus on Jesus as a sacrifice, which we absolutely are appropriate in doing, we don't want to forget that he's still on the job, and his plan will be fulfilled. All of God's Holy Days represent a unified plan. Passover begins the season, and it ties into the meaning of all the other Holy Days right up to that eighth day that we call the last great day. Because God's plan is unified, he worked it out in advance perfectly. It fits together perfectly. And God's word is a unified message.

Jesus Christ was undoubtedly the God of the Old Testament. He fulfilled or is fulfilling all of the prophecies of the Old Testament about him. God's word fits perfectly together, and it is the printed representation of Jesus Christ. Many of you who are older might remember Mr. Armstrong used to say that there was Jesus Christ in person, and there's Jesus Christ in print. We can spend time with Jesus Christ in print, and of course, as we go on our knees in prayer, we can spend time with him through our prayers. And as we prepare for the Passover, I encourage us all to do both of these things. In prayer and in study, let's spend time with our Savior.