Good evening everyone.
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Our subject tonight is going
to be a very wonderful subject:
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"Jesus: Who is He? "
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Can't think of a better
question to answer. And so
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before we open the Word of
God tonight I invite you to
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bow your heads with me
for a brief word of prayer.
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Father in heaven, as
we study Your Word tonight
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I pray that You will
send Your Holy Spirit
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to speak to our hearts.
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May we find Jesus tonight.
May we encounter Him personally.
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We thank you, Lord, for
doing this in Jesus' name, Amen.
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Well friends, there is
no one quite like Jesus.
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In fact, you can walk
down the streets of time -
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anyone can walk down
the streets of time -
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and they will be guaranteed to
bump into Jesus along the way.
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His birth divides history.
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The noted historian H. G. Wells
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he once made a list of
the top 10 greatest men
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who have ever
lived. And #1 on that list
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he put Jesus Christ.
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But friends, Jesus
doesn't belong on that list.
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He doesn't belong on any list.
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Because you can talk of
Peter the great or Charlemagne
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the great or Alexander the great
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but you can't really
talk of Jesus the great.
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He is Jesus the one and only.
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There has never been
and there never will be
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another one just
like Jesus Christ.
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And yet, He never wrote a book.
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He never held an
office; He never owned a home.
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He never had a
family of His own.
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He never went to university.
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He never traveled
outside the 320 kilometer radius
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from the place of
His birth and yet...
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Jesus is the most impacting
personality of all time.
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But question: who on
earth is He to you and I today?
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Oh yes, we know He lived.
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We know He existed, but
who is He to us tonight?
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Well friends, two travelers
on a dusty road 2,000 years ago
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they pondered
this very question.
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And I think it would be really
good for us to walk with them
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on their journey to
find out what they discovered
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about Jesus. And
so to find their story
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we go to the book of Luke
chapter 24 verses 13 and 14.
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You can look it
up in your Bibles.
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We can follow
along on the screen.
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Luke chapter 24
verses 13 and 14.
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And it says:
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Now for these two
travelers on the road that day
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Jesus was great
but He was very dead.
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You see, they had
believed in Jesus.
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They had believed in
Him so much so that they had
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placed their faith in Him.
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But things hadn't gone to plan.
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One night Jesus was arrested.
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The next day He was crucified...
nailed on a cross between
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two thieves, hanging
between heaven and earth.
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His lacerated body, bruised
and bleeding from the tortures
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of the night, a crown of
thorns pressed into His brow.
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And above Him on that
cross a wooden sign that read:
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THIS IS JESUS,
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
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The next day all over Jerusalem
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the newspaper
headlines were all the same:
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Jesus is dead.
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And for these two followers of
Jesus it was too much to take.
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They were like
sheep without a shepherd.
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They felt like hounds that
had been chasing this mechanical
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rabbit and then suddenly
the rabbit had disappeared
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and they didn't know what
to do with themselves any more.
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There were so many questions
they had to work through.
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And so when the Sabbath
ended, Sunday morning came,
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they got out of town.
They had to leave town.
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It was haunted with the
memory of that fateful Friday.
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But friend, sometimes the
destination is not nearly as
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important as what
happens along the way.
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Because the Bible tells us that
while they're walking on this
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road they encountered Jesus.
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Watch what happens in
verses 15 and 16. It says:
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This is amazing
to me. There they are
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real people
walking on a real road
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and a real man comes and joins
them and they can't see it.
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Now it could be that
they had been crying so much
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they just weren't seeing
things properly any more.
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Or perhaps as the Palestinian
sun was setting in the distance
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it was shining in their
eyes and they couldn't see
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things clearly about them.
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Although I suspect this last
reason is perhaps the true one.
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They just weren't
expecting to see Jesus.
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Because let me illustrate.
I have family in Queensland.
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And every time we go to
Queensland we love to go
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to this
restaurant called Sizzlers.
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Have you heard of Sizzlers?
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Oh, it's wonderful.
All-you-can-eat buffet.
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And I remember one
year we went to Sizzlers.
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And we got in. The
waitress took us to our table.
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We sat down and then we said:
"OK, let's go get our food. "
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And as I stood up to go and
get my food in this restaurant,
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I looked at the buffet
and there was this girl
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at the buffet and she
was wearing exactly the same
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striped top as myself.
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And that was
very upsetting to me
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because that meant I
couldn't go to the buffet
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without being... you know,
people might play snap with me.
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And so I spent the rest of
our time in that restaurant
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that night trying to
time my trips to the buffet
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so that they
didn't coincide with hers.
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And I was so caught up in that
and, you know, the conversation
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that we were having, that
it wasn't until the end of our
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lunch there that day that we
realized that the people behind
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us - directly behind us
at the table behind us -
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were good friends we
hadn't seen for years.
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And they were there all
along... we just never saw them.
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Why? Because we
weren't looking for them.
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We weren't
expecting to see them.
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And I think that was
probably one of the good reasons
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why these disciples
didn't see Jesus that day.
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They weren't
expecting to see Him.
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And I believe that that's
the reason why a lot of people
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don't find Jesus today.
They're not looking for Him.
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They don't expect to see Him.
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But He is closer than we think.
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Notice what
happens next on the road:
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Have you ever met someone
who was just the most amazing
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person you've ever met,
and you've never met anyone
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like this before?
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Well friends, that's what
Jesus was to these disciples.
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He had brought so
much hope to them. In fact,
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all of Israel... they had
been so hopeful because Jesus
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had turned up on the scene.
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But friends, when
someone as amazing as Jesus
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comes up and then disappears
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then people who had so much hope
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now had so much sorrow.
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And Jesus... Jesus had
warned them. He said: "Look,
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I will be given into the hands
of evil men and they will...
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they will crucify Me. "
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But they didn't
want to hear that.
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No, they had had selective
hearing when it came to
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listening to Jesus. It's
a bit like some of us kids
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you know when we're
growing up. Our parents say:
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"If you do this then
you can do what you want. "
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You know, "Put the rubbish
out and then you can go and play
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in the yard. " My
parents told me that.
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And I would listen to them
and I'd only hear the last part.
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I'd go out and do what I want.
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Then my parents would come home
and say: "Why aren't the bins
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out the front? " And I said:
"Well you said I could play
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in the yard... " which is true.
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But it's selective hearing.
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You see, these disciples,
what they had wanted to hear
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was that Jesus was going
to come and He was going to be
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victorious over the Romans.
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He was going to come and
deliver them from Roman rule and
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reign as their king and every-
thing was going to be great.
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And His suffering and
death... it just didn't fit
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into that picture
they had of Jesus.
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In effect, they had
created their own Jesus.
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So how do we
find the real Jesus?
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Let's see what
Jesus Himself has to say:
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Question: how did
Jesus prove Himself?
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How did He prove that He was
exactly who He claimed to be?
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Did He perform a miracle?
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Did He suddenly disappear
and then reappear and say:
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"See, take
that... that's evidence. "
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Did He take a stone
and make it levitate?
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No. There were no claps of
thunder, no magical apparitions.
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According to the
Bible, Jesus proved Himself
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by going back to the
age-old Word of Scripture.
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He proved Himself
from the Word of God
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to be its central protagonist,
to be its central theme
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and character. Jesus wasn't
merely preaching a gospel...
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He was that gospel.
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And so the Bible tells us
beginning in the very alpha
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of Bible history He
begins to make Himself known
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to these two disciples.
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And it has been said that should
everybody dust off their Bibles
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and read them, we should
see the greatest dust storm
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the world has ever seen.
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And it's sort of true
because you think about it:
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when we ask people "what do
you believe? " they don't really
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know what they believe.
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Like this man... he
asked his Christian friend,
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he said: "So
what do you believe? "
00:10:21.09\00:10:22.46
He said: "I believe
what my church believes. "
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He said: "Well what
does your church believe? "
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Said: "The church
believes what I believe. "
00:10:26.69\00:10:28.79
He was getting
frustrated now and he said:
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"Well what do you and
your church believe? "
00:10:31.11\00:10:32.99
"Ah, we believe
about the same thing. "
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We don't really
know what we believe.
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And for that
reason the Bible says:
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And friends, Jesus wanted these
disciples to believe in Him.
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Not to follow Him
because they loved the action
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or the atmosphere
that permeated His life.
00:11:00.86\00:11:03.35
He wanted them to follow Him
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because they were absolutely
convinced from scripture
00:11:08.50\00:11:11.95
that Jesus was the fulfillment
of prophecy scattered
00:11:12.15\00:11:15.34
all over the Old Testament.
00:11:15.44\00:11:17.96
And to help you understand that,
please allow me to illustrate.
00:11:18.16\00:11:21.74
You see now on your
screen a picture of my family
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with my great aunt
and my great uncle.
00:11:25.83\00:11:28.16
They live in Perth, and
for the first time in my life
00:11:28.26\00:11:30.99
I got to meet
them last year in June.
00:11:31.19\00:11:34.37
Was it June or
July? June or July.
00:11:34.57\00:11:36.35
And they are lovely people.
My great auntie there, she is
00:11:36.55\00:11:39.52
a great cook. And she
gave us some lovely biscuits.
00:11:39.62\00:11:43.06
And when I first
met my great uncle,
00:11:43.26\00:11:45.68
you know, we greeted one another
and he looked at me kind of
00:11:45.88\00:11:48.89
puzzled for a moment.
00:11:48.99\00:11:50.37
And then he said:
"Wait; hang on a minute.
00:11:50.57\00:11:52.67
Can you just stand back
and turn side on again? "
00:11:52.87\00:11:55.14
Now it was kind of a strange
way to be greeted by your
00:11:55.34\00:11:58.30
great uncle. You've
never really met him before.
00:11:58.40\00:12:00.41
But I obliged. I
was very obliging and
00:12:00.61\00:12:03.09
I stepped back and I turned
side on and he looked at me.
00:12:03.29\00:12:06.69
He studied me, and
then he snapped his fingers
00:12:06.89\00:12:08.93
and said: "Ah, that's it! You
remind me of Michael Jordan. "
00:12:08.97\00:12:12.19
That was very touching;
my life changed that day.
00:12:13.79\00:12:15.99
But the reason why he thought
that was because the day before
00:12:17.01\00:12:20.18
he had been watching the
funeral of Michael Jackson.
00:12:20.38\00:12:23.54
I said Michael Jordan.
00:12:23.64\00:12:24.65
He said: "You remind
me of Michael Jackson. "
00:12:24.85\00:12:26.43
He'd been watching the funeral
of Michael Jackson the day
00:12:26.63\00:12:29.11
before and obviously
when he saw me in that coat
00:12:29.21\00:12:32.17
he just thought of two
things: Michael Jackson...
00:12:32.37\00:12:34.40
coat and Michael Jackson.
00:12:34.50\00:12:35.89
And in the same way, my
great uncle took one look at me
00:12:36.19\00:12:39.82
in that black coat and
said: "Michael Jackson"
00:12:39.92\00:12:42.13
so it is that God had
placed prophecies all over the
00:12:42.33\00:12:45.34
Old Testament so that
when they were fulfilled
00:12:45.44\00:12:48.12
in the life of the Messiah
people would look at the signs
00:12:48.32\00:12:51.53
and they'd look at
Jesus and they'd say: "Ah,
00:12:51.73\00:12:53.38
that's who you remind me
of. You must be the Messiah. "
00:12:53.58\00:12:56.75
And friend, did you know that:
00:12:56.95\00:12:58.56
And that is just
absolutely amazing.
00:13:08.27\00:13:10.22
And so as Jesus begins
to talk to these disciples
00:13:10.32\00:13:13.81
and to try and
revive their faith
00:13:14.01\00:13:15.81
He starts going through
what these prophecies were
00:13:16.01\00:13:18.84
and how they were
fulfilled in His life.
00:13:19.04\00:13:21.26
And I'm pretty sure He went
straight back to the book of
00:13:21.46\00:13:24.69
Isaiah. He
reminded them of His birth.
00:13:24.79\00:13:27.57
How the Bible had foretold
that the birth of the Messiah
00:13:27.78\00:13:30.65
would be a miraculous one.
00:13:30.85\00:13:32.48
Isaiah 7 verse 14:
00:13:32.68\00:13:34.42
Friend, Isaiah wrote this
prophecy: do you know how long?
00:13:44.16\00:13:48.04
He wrote it around 600
years before Jesus ever appeared
00:13:48.24\00:13:52.26
on the scene. And of
course, that had been fulfilled
00:13:52.46\00:13:55.04
in Jesus' life.
Matthew chapter 1 verse 18:
00:13:55.15\00:13:58.35
And then I'm pretty sure
Jesus reminded those disciples
00:14:09.00\00:14:12.06
of the
birthplace of the Messiah.
00:14:12.16\00:14:14.28
Do you remember that the
Bible told us that the prophets
00:14:14.48\00:14:17.56
told us He would
be born in Bethlehem?
00:14:17.66\00:14:19.88
And then of course
you and I know the story
00:14:33.91\00:14:36.09
so well how Jesus was born in
a stable and placed in a manger
00:14:36.29\00:14:40.96
there in Bethlehem.
00:14:41.06\00:14:42.58
The fulfillment was there.
The New Testament confirms
00:14:46.19\00:14:49.38
the fulfillment
of Micah's prophecy.
00:14:49.58\00:14:51.57
According to the Bible,
Jesus is more than a good man.
00:14:51.87\00:14:55.68
More than an ethical teacher;
more than a moral philosopher.
00:14:55.89\00:14:59.59
He was the divine Son of God.
00:14:59.79\00:15:02.75
I'm pretty sure
this is how Jesus' sermon
00:15:02.95\00:15:06.63
started off on
the road to Emmaus.
00:15:06.73\00:15:09.22
But this was all revision
for Cleopas and his friend.
00:15:09.42\00:15:12.52
They knew all of this stuff.
00:15:12.72\00:15:14.08
That's why they had believed
in Jesus in the first place.
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.03
What they didn't understand was
why He had to suffer and die.
00:15:17.23\00:15:21.12
And so, friends, they continued
on. And Jesus had to tell them
00:15:21.32\00:15:25.15
something else. Louis
Pasteur, he was the father
00:15:25.25\00:15:28.82
of immunology. And he
was working on a vaccine
00:15:28.92\00:15:31.73
in the 17th century for rabies
when an epidemic broke out.
00:15:31.83\00:15:35.79
And one little
boy... he contracted rabies.
00:15:36.09\00:15:39.71
His name was Joseph
Meister. He contracted rabies
00:15:39.91\00:15:42.96
after being bitten
by an infected dog.
00:15:43.16\00:15:45.25
And his mother came to
Louis and she said: Look, you've
00:15:45.46\00:15:49.24
got to try your vaccine
on my son or he'll die. "
00:15:49.34\00:15:52.94
Louis said: "I haven't tried
it yet; it's not fully developed
00:15:52.97\00:15:55.68
yet; it hasn't
been properly tested. "
00:15:55.78\00:15:57.52
She said: "Please try. "
00:15:57.72\00:15:59.07
And so finally he gave in
and he administered the vaccine.
00:15:59.27\00:16:03.24
To tell a... make
a long story short,
00:16:03.54\00:16:06.01
the boy survived. He recovered.
00:16:06.21\00:16:08.30
And when he did,
the epidemic was doomed.
00:16:08.50\00:16:11.44
History tells us that
near the end of Louis' life
00:16:11.64\00:16:14.51
he wrote his own epitaph.
00:16:14.71\00:16:16.66
And as he formulated the
statement that would adorn
00:16:16.86\00:16:20.35
his tomb, he resisted
the temptation to chronicle
00:16:20.45\00:16:23.69
all of his
achievements and successes.
00:16:23.79\00:16:26.14
Instead he wrote
this one solitary line:
00:16:26.34\00:16:29.29
Joseph Meister lived.
00:16:29.49\00:16:32.93
Because you see, the success
of one's life is not really
00:16:33.13\00:16:36.28
in all of the
accolades and achievements
00:16:36.48\00:16:38.99
and awards and
degrees that we have
00:16:39.09\00:16:41.17
but rather in the lives
that are changed as a result
00:16:41.37\00:16:44.25
of that one person's life.
00:16:44.36\00:16:45.82
And friends, if we take
that as the rule for judging
00:16:46.02\00:16:49.34
the greatness of a person, then
Jesus... He surpasses everyone
00:16:49.54\00:16:53.88
by far. You see, you and I
00:16:54.08\00:16:56.46
we are all suffering
from a terminal disease
00:16:56.76\00:17:00.18
and it's called sin.
00:17:00.38\00:17:01.93
According to the
Bible, the Bible says:
00:17:02.13\00:17:04.72
And when Adam and Eve sinned
back there in the Garden of Eden
00:17:09.05\00:17:12.39
God didn't turn His
back on planet earth and say:
00:17:12.59\00:17:15.11
"Oh dear, they've stuffed
up. Look, We'll just go and
00:17:15.31\00:17:17.86
make another planet
and start all over again. "
00:17:17.96\00:17:19.71
No, God had a plan
to save the human race
00:17:19.92\00:17:23.23
and that plan
involved Jesus Christ.
00:17:23.53\00:17:25.90
Sending Him down on this
earth to be born as a baby.
00:17:26.10\00:17:29.33
To live and to grow into a man
who would die to take our place
00:17:29.53\00:17:33.50
on a cross. And
about 2,000 years ago
00:17:33.70\00:17:36.10
we know the story. How wise
men from the east, they followed
00:17:36.20\00:17:39.66
a star in the
sky. And when they did
00:17:39.76\00:17:41.72
they came upon
Jesus there in Bethlehem.
00:17:41.93\00:17:44.35
That's in Luke
chapter 2 verse 7.
00:17:54.20\00:17:56.90
No room for Jesus.
00:17:57.10\00:17:58.89
The King, the God of the
universe steps down and becomes
00:17:59.09\00:18:02.11
a little helpless baby,
and there's no room for Him
00:18:02.21\00:18:04.73
in any inn in town.
00:18:04.94\00:18:06.71
It was all booked out.
00:18:06.91\00:18:08.58
But friends,
Jesus did it because:
00:18:08.78\00:18:10.81
Isn't that incredible? God
becoming a "bondservant... "
00:18:23.66\00:18:27.50
Jesus came. He
lived on this earth.
00:18:30.92\00:18:33.56
He lived a pure life;
there was no sin in His life.
00:18:33.76\00:18:38.44
And friends, as we look at
Him we say: "What went wrong? "
00:18:38.64\00:18:41.98
"Why did people crucify Him? "
00:18:42.18\00:18:43.78
"He was just the most wonderful
person that ever lived. "
00:18:43.98\00:18:46.70
And as we look at His
life we see that He had to die.
00:18:46.91\00:18:50.06
In fact, the Old Testament
prophesies that Jesus would die.
00:18:50.26\00:18:53.69
And it sheds so
many... Let me rephrase that.
00:18:53.89\00:18:57.55
It had so much to say on it.
00:18:57.75\00:18:59.47
So let's take a look at the
prophecies that were fulfilled
00:18:59.67\00:19:02.67
in His death. The
Old Testament predicted
00:19:02.87\00:19:04.90
the manner of His betrayal.
00:19:05.10\00:19:07.10
It said: "Even my own familiar
friend in whom I trusted
00:19:07.30\00:19:11.82
who ate my bread
has lifted up his heel
00:19:12.02\00:19:14.63
against me. " And of course,
we see the fulfillment of that
00:19:14.84\00:19:17.63
in Judas when Jesus said
to Peter, He said: "It is he
00:19:17.73\00:19:20.96
whom I shall give a piece of
bread when I have dipped it. "
00:19:21.06\00:19:25.20
Peter had said: "Well
who will betray You? "
00:19:25.40\00:19:27.10
And that's what Jesus said.
00:19:27.20\00:19:28.60
Then Jesus also... He
fulfilled prophecy in His life
00:19:28.80\00:19:32.65
when He was betrayed
for 30 pieces of silver.
00:19:32.85\00:19:35.90
"So they weighed out for my
wages, " the Old Testament said,
00:19:36.10\00:19:38.97
"thirty pieces of silver. "
00:19:39.17\00:19:41.35
And then, of course,
was Jesus sold for 29?
00:19:41.55\00:19:44.61
28? 31?
00:19:44.82\00:19:47.39
No! Fascinatingly He was
sold for 30 pieces of silver.
00:19:47.59\00:19:52.31
And you can see it right
there in Matthew chapter 26.
00:19:52.41\00:19:56.45
Then the Bible told us
that He would be beaten.
00:19:56.65\00:20:01.04
Says: "And they gave My
back to those who struck Me
00:20:01.24\00:20:04.62
and My cheeks to those
who plucked out the beard.
00:20:04.82\00:20:07.45
I did not hide My face
from shame and spitting. "
00:20:07.66\00:20:11.42
And of course we know from
the gospels that Jesus suffered
00:20:11.62\00:20:15.35
an awful death. He
was humiliated and beaten.
00:20:15.56\00:20:18.50
"Then they spat on His
face... " in Matthew 26:67.
00:20:18.70\00:20:22.37
"They spat on
His face and beat Him
00:20:22.57\00:20:24.75
and others struck Him with
the palms of their hands. "
00:20:24.96\00:20:28.41
The Bible tells us that they
would pierce His hands and His
00:20:28.61\00:20:31.59
feet. It says: "And they
pierced My hands and My feet. "
00:20:31.79\00:20:34.67
And of course Jesus was
crucified and you can see
00:20:34.87\00:20:37.52
the reference there in
John chapter 20 verse 25
00:20:37.62\00:20:40.70
where Thomas said: "I
will not believe unless
00:20:40.90\00:20:43.03
I see His hands and His feet. "
00:20:43.23\00:20:46.18
Again: "He was
numbered with the transgressors"
00:20:46.38\00:20:49.41
the Bible said in
Isaiah chapter 53 verse 12
00:20:49.61\00:20:52.80
this would be the case
and we see the fulfillment
00:20:53.00\00:20:55.98
in Mark chapter
15 verses 27 and 28.
00:20:56.18\00:20:59.25
And you're thinking: "Charissa,
you're going very fast. "
00:20:59.45\00:21:01.81
I know. But as you leave tonight
you will receive a handout
00:21:02.01\00:21:06.07
with a summary of all of
these texts so you can go home
00:21:06.27\00:21:08.78
and look at them yourself.
The Bible says that they would
00:21:08.98\00:21:11.45
cast lots for His garments.
In Psalm chapter 22 and verse 18
00:21:11.65\00:21:17.56
it says: "They divide
My garments among them
00:21:17.76\00:21:19.99
and for My
clothing they cast lots. "
00:21:20.09\00:21:22.35
And this was written 1,000
years before Jesus even died.
00:21:22.55\00:21:25.56
And the fulfillment we see there
in John 19 verses 23 and 24.
00:21:25.76\00:21:31.29
And listen to this: even
the last words that Jesus said
00:21:31.49\00:21:36.15
on the cross -
His last dying words -
00:21:36.35\00:21:38.63
they were foretold in
prophecy. Psalm 22 verse 1:
00:21:38.83\00:21:42.90
"My God, My God, why
have You forsaken Me? "
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.81
And then the fulfillment
is there in Matthew chapter 27
00:21:47.01\00:21:50.71
and verse 46. And friends,
needless to say, we can conclude
00:21:50.91\00:21:54.98
with Jean Jacques Rosseau:
00:21:55.08\00:21:56.86
Another quote here:
00:22:04.27\00:22:05.77
And you say: "Charissa,
come on, that's easy. "
00:22:31.58\00:22:35.38
But let's think about this.
00:22:35.58\00:22:37.02
Supposing I said to you
that 700 years from tonight
00:22:37.22\00:22:41.61
the prime minister of Australia
would be born in Tyrene.
00:22:41.82\00:22:46.69
And it happened 700 years later.
00:22:46.89\00:22:49.54
You'd all say: "Wow!
That's pretty amazing! "
00:22:49.57\00:22:52.72
But if I told you not
only would he be born here
00:22:52.75\00:22:55.87
but he would suffer and die
here and then that he would be
00:22:55.90\00:22:59.11
sold for 30 pieces of
silver here and then he would be
00:22:59.21\00:23:02.09
crucified here... And if we make
this analogy applicable to Jesus
00:23:02.29\00:23:06.83
that was said of Jesus before
crucifixion was ever invented.
00:23:07.03\00:23:10.75
Well you think: "That
is absolutely amazing! "
00:23:10.95\00:23:13.88
Don't you think? And
of course you can say
00:23:13.98\00:23:16.74
"Well Charissa, you've just
used the Bible to prove Jesus.
00:23:16.94\00:23:19.84
Don't you think
that's circular reasoning? "
00:23:19.94\00:23:22.04
In a way, but the Bible isn't
written as a circular book.
00:23:22.24\00:23:25.95
You and I need to remember
and I have just pointed out
00:23:26.16\00:23:28.96
that these things were
written by 40 different authors
00:23:29.17\00:23:32.24
over a period
spanning 1,500 years.
00:23:32.44\00:23:35.00
Hundreds of years before
Jesus ever came on the scene
00:23:35.20\00:23:38.56
and they were making
prophecies about the Messiah
00:23:38.69\00:23:41.26
which came true.
00:23:41.36\00:23:43.10
And then you have to admit
that it adds an element of truth
00:23:43.30\00:23:46.97
to it when Jesus says: "I'm
going to rise on the third day"
00:23:47.07\00:23:50.39
and He does.
00:23:50.59\00:23:52.16
No one else can do that
and no one else has done that.
00:23:52.36\00:23:55.58
One summer a little
girl... she came home...
00:23:55.78\00:23:59.60
She'd never been to church,
but a vacation Bible school was
00:23:59.81\00:24:02.64
visiting her
town, and so she went.
00:24:02.74\00:24:05.70
She came home and
she was so excited.
00:24:05.90\00:24:08.48
She came in the door
and she said: "Mom, Mom,
00:24:08.69\00:24:11.15
you wouldn't believe it.
I've just... I learned about
00:24:11.35\00:24:14.22
Jesus today. He's a real
person... not a swear word! "
00:24:14.42\00:24:18.52
There are many people today
who don't know the real Jesus.
00:24:18.72\00:24:22.75
They don't know the real Jesus
that you and I have seen here
00:24:22.95\00:24:25.86
from prophecy tonight.
00:24:26.06\00:24:27.76
And friends, as we
take another look...
00:24:27.86\00:24:29.32
we're going to take another
fact of Jesus in tonight...
00:24:29.52\00:24:32.46
the Bible makes a very interest-
ing reference to Jesus Christ.
00:24:32.66\00:24:36.03
In Isaiah 53:3-7 watch
how it refers to Jesus:
00:24:36.24\00:24:42.14
Jesus is referred to
here by the prophet Isaiah
00:25:32.48\00:25:37.49
as a Lamb. And again in
the book of Revelation we find
00:25:37.69\00:25:41.12
exactly the same
reference: Revelation 13:8.
00:25:41.32\00:25:44.42
Here again Jesus is
referred to as "the Lamb
00:25:51.83\00:25:55.21
slain from the
foundation of the world. "
00:25:55.41\00:25:57.27
What on earth does this mean?
00:25:57.47\00:25:59.58
Why does the Bible
refer to Jesus as "the Lamb? "
00:25:59.78\00:26:03.02
Well friends, the Bible
says here in Romans 6:23
00:26:03.22\00:26:08.43
When Adam and Eve sinned
they were separated from God
00:26:16.28\00:26:20.13
and God had to send them
out of the Garden of Eden.
00:26:20.43\00:26:23.39
And when He sent them out,
their vitality began to decrease
00:26:23.59\00:26:27.98
and they began to die
because that's what sin causes,
00:26:28.18\00:26:31.50
it causes death.
00:26:31.60\00:26:32.64
And the Bible
tells us in Genesis 3:24
00:26:32.84\00:26:35.37
Very sad. God had no pleasure
in evicting Adam and Eve
00:26:45.81\00:26:49.58
from that garden. And when
He did, He had a word of hope
00:26:49.69\00:26:53.44
for them; He had a
word of promise for them.
00:26:53.54\00:26:56.03
Notice what He said:
He said in Genesis 3:15
00:26:56.23\00:26:59.08
Now what does that
word "bruise" there mean?
00:27:12.22\00:27:14.83
It means crush, and
it's a lot more serious
00:27:15.03\00:27:18.79
to have your head
crushed than your heel crushed.
00:27:18.82\00:27:22.58
In other words, God
was telling Adam and Eve
00:27:22.78\00:27:25.29
back then in the Garden of Eden
"Listen, there is coming One
00:27:25.49\00:27:29.08
who will crush Satan... who will
gain the victory over the enemy
00:27:29.28\00:27:34.10
of this planet. " And we
will look more at that enemy
00:27:34.21\00:27:36.48
tomorrow night. And to remind
them of this wonderful promise
00:27:36.58\00:27:40.66
of hope and restoration, God
instituted a sacrificial system
00:27:40.86\00:27:46.68
back there in
the very beginning.
00:27:46.88\00:27:48.87
Why? What were they to do?
00:27:49.07\00:27:50.66
Adam and Eve were to
take a pure, spotless lamb
00:27:50.86\00:27:54.17
and they were to slay that
lamb and offer it as a burnt
00:27:54.37\00:27:58.32
offering. And when they did that
00:27:58.53\00:28:00.78
they were showing faith in
the Lamb of God who would come
00:28:00.98\00:28:04.72
and die for them to
offer them eternal life.
00:28:04.92\00:28:07.96
You see? And of course
in the very next chapter
00:28:08.17\00:28:10.80
we see Abel and Cain.
They offered sacrifices to God.
00:28:11.00\00:28:14.79
What happened?
00:28:14.89\00:28:15.91
Why didn't God
respect Cain's offering?
00:28:28.48\00:28:31.19
Because Cain offered
Him the best of his produce.
00:28:31.40\00:28:35.00
Cain had a green thumb.
He grew the best vegetables
00:28:35.20\00:28:38.86
you could ever find; had
the most wonderful mango trees.
00:28:38.96\00:28:41.93
And he had brought the best
of his produce to offer to God.
00:28:42.13\00:28:45.16
But it wasn't a lamb
00:28:45.36\00:28:47.31
and it did not show faith
in the Lamb that God would send
00:28:47.51\00:28:52.14
and so God couldn't accept it.
00:28:52.34\00:28:53.95
Because Hebrews 9:22 says:
00:28:54.15\00:28:56.11
No remission for sin
without the shedding of blood.
00:29:00.06\00:29:02.77
And friends, when God
was leading His people
00:29:02.97\00:29:05.93
out of Egypt back
there in the book of Exodus -
00:29:06.13\00:29:08.83
out of Egypt and to the Promised
Land - He instructed Moses
00:29:09.03\00:29:12.49
to build a sanctuary and a
tabernacle that was to mirror
00:29:12.69\00:29:16.58
the one that was in heaven.
And here in this sanctuary
00:29:16.78\00:29:20.04
God... He taught
these people many ceremonies
00:29:20.24\00:29:23.05
which were to teach
them more about Jesus.
00:29:23.26\00:29:25.31
And one of those ceremonies
which He instituted on their
00:29:25.51\00:29:28.88
journey from Egypt
to the Promised Land
00:29:28.98\00:29:31.06
was a ceremony
called The Passover.
00:29:31.26\00:29:34.69
Sounds very
complicated, but basically
00:29:34.89\00:29:37.33
on the 14th day of the 1st month
00:29:37.53\00:29:39.91
the people were
instructed to slay a lamb.
00:29:40.12\00:29:42.46
And then they were to put
the blood of that lamb on the
00:29:42.49\00:29:46.00
doorpost of their home
because it was a reminder
00:29:46.20\00:29:49.45
that when they were leaving
Egypt and that angel of death
00:29:49.65\00:29:52.77
had passed over and the
first- born of every family
00:29:52.87\00:29:55.86
had been killed, that
angel had passed over the home
00:29:56.06\00:30:00.08
of those who had
placed the blood of the lamb
00:30:00.28\00:30:02.82
above the doorpost. It
was to remind them of that.
00:30:03.03\00:30:06.11
Now question: did the blood of
the animal that they slaughtered
00:30:06.31\00:30:10.65
back then, did that have
anything to do in saving them?
00:30:10.85\00:30:13.49
No! Only the blood
of Jesus could save us.
00:30:13.79\00:30:17.68
But again it
showed that they had faith
00:30:17.88\00:30:21.71
in the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
00:30:21.92\00:30:24.13
The Bible tells
us in Hebrews 9:26
00:30:24.33\00:30:27.27
And again,
Hebrews 10 and verse 4:
00:30:32.84\00:30:35.21
Jesus had to do that.
00:30:40.12\00:30:41.81
How do we know that
Jesus was that Lamb of God
00:30:41.84\00:30:44.94
foretold in the Bible?
00:30:45.14\00:30:46.84
Because one day John
the Baptist was preaching
00:30:47.04\00:30:49.44
by the river Jordan.
And as he was preaching
00:30:49.64\00:30:52.19
He suddenly stopped. And
he looked off in the distance
00:30:52.39\00:30:56.69
and coming towards him was
a man. And as He came closer
00:30:56.90\00:31:00.52
and closer the Bible tells us
that John exclaimed... he said:
00:31:00.72\00:31:04.98
Friends, this is the real Jesus.
00:31:11.29\00:31:15.12
This was the mind-blowing
corroborating evidence
00:31:15.32\00:31:18.95
that Jesus was sharing with
His disciples there on the road
00:31:19.16\00:31:22.73
to Emmaus. He needed them
to see that His death and His
00:31:22.94\00:31:26.72
resurrection weren't meant to
be the destruction of all their
00:31:26.82\00:31:29.57
faith and all their hopes.
It was to be the very evidence
00:31:29.67\00:31:33.10
upon which their
faith was to rest.
00:31:33.20\00:31:36.89
And friends, as the disciples
listened to Jesus on the road
00:31:37.09\00:31:40.59
their hearts began to
throb again with excitement.
00:31:40.79\00:31:44.70
They must have said:
"Wow! It suddenly makes sense.
00:31:44.90\00:31:48.74
We get it. Jesus had to die.
00:31:48.94\00:31:51.36
He had to suffer so you and
I, we could have eternal life. "
00:31:51.56\00:31:55.19
And this thought thrilled them.
00:31:55.39\00:31:57.69
And you guys... you are
very excited. I know you are.
00:31:57.89\00:32:00.38
You're just keeping
it all to yourselves.
00:32:00.58\00:32:02.34
Friends,
Christianity is Jesus Christ.
00:32:02.54\00:32:05.68
God didn't drop a
scroll of theology from heaven
00:32:07.10\00:32:11.08
and say: "Read this
and that's the gospel. "
00:32:11.18\00:32:13.17
No. He came Himself.
00:32:13.37\00:32:15.75
The Bible says:
00:32:15.95\00:32:17.19
The greatest sermon
that was ever preached
00:32:41.50\00:32:44.69
was never written
down. It was never filmed;
00:32:44.89\00:32:47.21
it was never aired to the world.
00:32:47.41\00:32:48.94
But we know who preached
it. We know when He preached it.
00:32:49.14\00:32:52.44
The day after the cross...
the day of the resurrection.
00:32:52.64\00:32:55.77
And we know to
whom it was preached.
00:32:55.97\00:32:58.15
A pastor... he went to
visit an elderly man in his home
00:32:58.35\00:33:02.30
and they began
talking about Jesus.
00:33:02.50\00:33:04.47
And he was telling him all these
wonderful things about Jesus.
00:33:04.67\00:33:07.24
And he said: "You
know, Jesus Christ... "
00:33:07.44\00:33:09.36
to this old man
sitting in his chair he said:
00:33:09.56\00:33:11.66
"Jesus Christ is the
greatest Man who ever lived.
00:33:11.76\00:33:14.60
He's the most gracious,
loving person who ever walked
00:33:14.80\00:33:18.25
upon the planet. " He
said: "I tell you something
00:33:18.45\00:33:21.77
and it will startle you.
According to the Bible, "
00:33:21.98\00:33:24.80
he said, "and the historic
Christian faith, Jesus of
00:33:24.90\00:33:29.67
Nazareth, that carpenter of
Galilee, He was more than a Man.
00:33:29.77\00:33:35.28
He was the eternal Creator.
00:33:35.48\00:33:37.47
He was the
Creator of the universe.
00:33:37.67\00:33:39.54
The omnipotent,
omniscient, almighty God. "
00:33:39.74\00:33:43.05
Instantly the man
sitting opposite him
00:33:43.25\00:33:45.90
his eyes filled with
tears and he said: "You know,
00:33:46.10\00:33:50.29
I have never really been
to church in all my life, "
00:33:50.42\00:33:52.89
he said, "but I have
always thought that that is how
00:33:53.09\00:33:56.45
it should be. That God
should be like Jesus. "
00:33:56.55\00:34:00.63
Jesus is the most beautiful
person you can ever encounter
00:34:00.83\00:34:05.15
and He is God.
00:34:05.35\00:34:07.05
And before they knew it,
these two disciples on the
00:34:07.26\00:34:10.36
road to Emmaus that
day, the time had just gone,
00:34:10.46\00:34:13.10
the sun was set now
and they found themselves
00:34:13.30\00:34:16.43
outside the
motel there in Emmaus.
00:34:16.63\00:34:19.17
And the Bible says:
00:34:19.37\00:34:20.51
Now this might sound absolutely
strange to you tonight
00:34:30.81\00:34:35.27
but I really dislike
calling people on the phone.
00:34:35.47\00:34:38.13
I dislike calling people on the
phone because I always feel bad
00:34:38.33\00:34:40.95
that I'm going to be
interrupting them in something
00:34:41.15\00:34:43.46
that they're doing.
So I don't call people.
00:34:43.66\00:34:45.20
I e-mail people. If I
have to call them, I always
00:34:45.40\00:34:47.89
rehearse what I'm going to
say before I speak to them.
00:34:47.99\00:34:51.34
And that's always not
really a good thing to do
00:34:51.54\00:34:53.29
'cause they never do
what they're supposed to do
00:34:53.39\00:34:55.39
on the other end.
00:34:55.49\00:34:56.59
But friends, I'm so
glad Cleopas wasn't like me.
00:34:56.79\00:35:00.19
I'm so glad he wasn't
afraid to ask Jesus to stop...
00:35:00.60\00:35:03.96
to come in with him.
Because if he had not asked
00:35:04.16\00:35:06.69
he would never have
known who walked with him
00:35:06.90\00:35:10.04
on the road that day.
00:35:10.24\00:35:11.83
And by the way, friends, if you
want to really encounter Jesus,
00:35:12.04\00:35:15.11
if you want to develop
a personal relationship
00:35:15.31\00:35:18.09
with Jesus Christ,
invite Him into your heart.
00:35:18.29\00:35:21.10
Invite Him in. Because when
we relate to God as a person
00:35:21.30\00:35:23.92
then we develop a
personal relationship with Him.
00:35:24.12\00:35:27.30
He is not an intellectual
issue to be debated in a hotly
00:35:27.50\00:35:31.21
sterile academic
arena. He's a real person
00:35:31.31\00:35:34.61
you can have a friendship with.
00:35:34.81\00:35:36.46
The Bible tells us in Luke 24
00:35:36.66\00:35:38.62
This is an incredible scene that
the Bible here tells us about.
00:35:53.92\00:35:57.55
They went in and
it was time to eat.
00:35:57.75\00:35:59.65
And so Cleopas, he gets
the bread and he takes the
00:35:59.85\00:36:02.46
bread basket and he is
just about to begin to break
00:36:02.56\00:36:05.33
the bread because he is
the host here in the home
00:36:05.43\00:36:08.46
when suddenly
Jesus takes it from him.
00:36:08.66\00:36:11.69
And He blesses that bread
and then He begins to break it.
00:36:11.89\00:36:16.71
And Cleopas as he is watching
all of this he's kind of
00:36:16.91\00:36:19.42
surprised because he is the host
and Jesus has just taken over
00:36:19.52\00:36:23.40
his role. But as he
watches Jesus closely
00:36:23.50\00:36:26.27
he realizes that He is doing
everything that they had seen
00:36:26.47\00:36:29.74
Jesus doing. And then
as Jesus breaks that bread
00:36:29.84\00:36:33.00
His sleeves fall
back and Cleopas sees
00:36:33.20\00:36:36.69
the print of the
nails in His hands.
00:36:36.89\00:36:39.61
And then at that moment,
bang... Jesus disappears.
00:36:39.81\00:36:43.69
And suddenly there
are two jaws on the floor.
00:36:43.89\00:36:47.45
Wow! Can you believe it?
The subject of our conversation
00:36:47.65\00:36:52.14
has been walking
beside us the whole time
00:36:52.34\00:36:55.14
and we didn't see it. And
friends, the Bible goes on
00:36:55.34\00:36:58.30
here in the book of Luke:
00:36:58.40\00:36:59.97
Ah, friends. These two men...
they're not the same two men
00:37:21.78\00:37:24.73
any more, are they? I
mean they get to Emmaus.
00:37:24.83\00:37:27.54
They realize that
Jesus was with them all along
00:37:27.75\00:37:30.35
and they don't
even unpack their bags.
00:37:30.55\00:37:32.46
No, they just make a
straight U- turn and go back
00:37:32.67\00:37:35.39
to Jerusalem. It didn't
matter that the street lights
00:37:35.59\00:37:38.43
weren't working that
night. It didn't matter that the
00:37:38.63\00:37:40.95
sun was down and
that the road was rough.
00:37:41.06\00:37:43.23
No, they were excited.
Their hearts were ignited!
00:37:43.43\00:37:47.02
And as they were
rushing back to Jerusalem
00:37:47.05\00:37:49.60
they kept
repeating over and over again
00:37:49.80\00:37:52.60
"He is risen! He's
alive and we know it
00:37:52.80\00:37:55.92
because we
encountered Him on the road! "
00:37:56.12\00:37:59.15
Friends, Napoleon Bonaparte...
he was a warrior for most of
00:37:59.45\00:38:04.27
his life, and he was a
greedy man filled with ambition.
00:38:04.37\00:38:08.28
But at the end of his life
he was exiled to the island
00:38:08.48\00:38:11.94
of St. Helena. And
there history tells us
00:38:12.04\00:38:15.33
that he picked up a Bible.
00:38:15.53\00:38:17.65
He began to read that Bible.
00:38:17.85\00:38:19.50
He poured over and over
and over the scriptures.
00:38:19.60\00:38:22.61
And after reading that Bible,
he wrote this in his journal...
00:38:22.81\00:38:27.16
He said:
00:38:27.36\00:38:28.43
The words of Billy Graham:
00:39:07.32\00:39:08.97
Friends, in closing tonight
let me tell you this story.
00:39:20.04\00:39:24.13
In the recent earthquake
that happened in China
00:39:24.33\00:39:26.95
in 2008- in May of 2008-
00:39:27.16\00:39:29.94
a woman was found in the rubble
of an apartment that had fallen
00:39:30.14\00:39:34.97
down. And when
the rescuers found her
00:39:35.11\00:39:37.73
they found her body as
though she was in a position
00:39:37.93\00:39:41.50
like she was
kneeling. She was on her knees
00:39:41.70\00:39:43.70
and hunched forward.
00:39:43.90\00:39:45.44
And they, you know, the
rescuer came and they tried to
00:39:45.64\00:39:49.24
see if there was any life.
00:39:49.44\00:39:50.98
And they called out to
her, they shouted out to her.
00:39:51.18\00:39:53.77
He took his baton and
he banged it on the ground.
00:39:53.97\00:39:55.94
But there was no
movement, no sound, no life.
00:39:56.14\00:39:59.01
And the rescue team that
came to find her were very
00:39:59.21\00:40:03.12
disappointed. There was so
much death all around them.
00:40:03.26\00:40:05.61
And so sadly they left
the scene and continued on
00:40:05.81\00:40:09.08
to see if they could
find life somewhere else
00:40:09.28\00:40:11.85
in all the rubble.
00:40:12.10\00:40:13.53
But as they were walking away
00:40:13.73\00:40:15.44
the leader of the team,
he had a light-bulb moment
00:40:15.65\00:40:18.73
and he had an idea.
00:40:18.93\00:40:20.78
And so he left the group
and he rushed back to the woman.
00:40:20.98\00:40:24.36
And then he reached
his hand beneath her body
00:40:24.56\00:40:27.74
and he felt something warm.
00:40:27.94\00:40:31.08
And so he shouted out to
the rest of them: "Come back!
00:40:31.28\00:40:34.01
Come back! There's life;
there's life. Come back! "
00:40:34.21\00:40:37.19
So the team rushed
back to where he was.
00:40:37.32\00:40:40.13
And he reached beneath the
rubble and they began to dig
00:40:40.33\00:40:43.65
away at the
debris. And as they did
00:40:43.75\00:40:46.60
they managed to pull
out a little baby boy.
00:40:46.81\00:40:50.06
And this is actually a
picture of him right there.
00:40:50.26\00:40:52.29
You can see him on the screen.
They pulled that little baby
00:40:52.49\00:40:55.21
boy out of the rubble.
He was sleeping at the time.
00:40:55.42\00:40:58.61
And as they pulled him
out they were so excited.
00:40:58.81\00:41:01.33
It was so wonderful to see
life amidst so much disaster
00:41:01.53\00:41:05.49
and death. And the baby...
They took the baby to the
00:41:05.50\00:41:08.63
company doctor and
he inspected the child.
00:41:08.74\00:41:11.65
And as he opened the blanket
which the baby was wrapped in
00:41:11.85\00:41:15.26
a mobile phone fell out.
00:41:15.46\00:41:18.06
And he picked it up,
and there on the screen
00:41:18.26\00:41:21.42
were these words. It
said: "My dearest child,
00:41:21.63\00:41:25.02
if you are able to survive
00:41:25.22\00:41:27.55
you must remember
that I love you. "
00:41:27.75\00:41:30.32
And he had seen many
births and deaths in his life
00:41:31.63\00:41:35.23
but needless to
say when he read that
00:41:35.44\00:41:38.01
and he looked at that
little life that had been saved
00:41:38.21\00:41:40.80
because the mother...
She had given her life
00:41:41.00\00:41:43.70
to shield her son.
00:41:43.90\00:41:45.40
He broke out in
tears. And as that phone
00:41:45.60\00:41:47.70
was passed around the
company everybody shed a tear.
00:41:47.90\00:41:51.17
Friends, 2,000 years ago
the Bible tells us that Jesus...
00:41:51.37\00:41:56.05
He bent over to take
a blow for you and I.
00:41:56.19\00:41:59.22
The Bible says He was
wounded for my transgressions.
00:41:59.43\00:42:03.04
He was wounded for
our transgressions.
00:42:03.24\00:42:05.98
He was bruised for our iniquity.
00:42:06.28\00:42:08.78
The chastisement of
our sin was upon Him
00:42:08.98\00:42:11.74
and with His
stripes we are healed.
00:42:11.94\00:42:14.34
And He has left a
message for you and I...
00:42:14.54\00:42:16.77
a message that has stood the
test of time and that continues
00:42:16.97\00:42:20.45
to be relevant to us tonight.
00:42:20.65\00:42:23.07
He says: "My son, My daughter,
00:42:23.27\00:42:25.96
remember that I love you.
00:42:26.16\00:42:29.45
I have given My life for you.
00:42:29.65\00:42:32.65
I shed My blood for you. "
00:42:32.85\00:42:35.72
With those outstretched hands
on Calvary that was the message
00:42:35.92\00:42:39.59
that He had for
you and I tonight.
00:42:39.79\00:42:41.91
Will we accept Him? Will
we give our lives for Him?
00:42:42.11\00:42:45.56
Will we accept the atoning
sacrifice of the Lamb of God
00:42:45.67\00:42:49.01
as our own? I pray that we do.
00:42:49.21\00:42:51.14
Would you bow your
heads with me tonight?
00:42:51.34\00:42:52.81
Our Father in
heaven, we thank you, Lord,
00:42:53.90\00:42:56.41
for the story of Jesus.
00:42:56.62\00:42:58.37
Oh please, write on
our hearts every word.
00:42:58.57\00:43:01.65
We thank you, Lord, that You
appeared to those two disciples
00:43:01.85\00:43:05.35
and You revealed
Yourself through the Bible.
00:43:05.45\00:43:07.64
Lord, as we have seen
You revealed through prophecy
00:43:07.84\00:43:10.71
again tonight, we pray that
our faith might be strengthened.
00:43:10.91\00:43:14.25
May we leave this church excited
00:43:14.45\00:43:17.29
with a message of hope that
You are risen, You're alive,
00:43:17.49\00:43:20.41
and we know it because
we've encountered You tonight.
00:43:20.61\00:43:22.68
Bless us now as we
journey on into this week.
00:43:22.88\00:43:25.67
For we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
00:43:25.87\00:43:28.85