Once again another prophecy is fulfilled in the Gospels. Matthew illustrates how those passing by jeered at Jesus, shook their heads (wagged their heads in the Psalm above) and taunted Him by saying, ‘Then save yourself if you are God’s son Matthew 27:40.’ Even the criminals who were crucified on either side of Him taunted Him (also see Mark 15:29-32).
The next part of the prophetic psalm describes the victim, the Messiah, as He faces His accusers and possible destruction: Many bulls are encircling me,
wild bulls of Bashan closing in on me.
Lions ravening and roaring
open their jaws at me.
My strength is trickling away,
my bones are all disjointed,
my heart has turned to wax,
melting inside me.
My mouth is dry as earthenware,
my tongue sticks to my jaw.
You lay me down in the dust of death (Psalm 22:12-15).
Then the Psalm describes being surrounded by villains seeking to hack off the victim’s hands and feet. Jesus’s hands and feet were mercilessly struck with hideous nails when He was being crucified.
The Psalm also shows that the victim can count every one of his bones, the gloating persecutors divide the victim’s clothing, and they cast lots for his clothes. In the Gospel of John it explicitly states that Jesus’s clothes are gambled for with the casting of lots: ‘So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,” in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled John 19:24).’
Passover was the time that the Jews remembered Israel’s deliverance from the terrible persecution and slavery as captives of Egypt. During this festival a tradition for the Roman Procurator was to release a prisoner. Ironically the Jews chose Barabbas, a criminal, over that of someone who performed wonders such as healing the sick and who even claimed equality with God.
The following passage also from the Old Testament, depicts the valuing of God for only thirty pieces of silver. The similarities with the account of the betrayal of Jesus for the same amount should not be missed.
I then said to them, ‘If you see fit, give me my wages; if not, never mind.’ So they weighed out my wages: thirty shekels of silver. Yahweh said to me, ‘Throw it to the smelter, this princely sum at which they have valued me!’ Taking the thirty shekels of silver, I threw them into the Temple of Yahweh, for the smelter (Zechariah 11:12-13).
The word ‘smelter’ in the Old Testament is the same as saying ‘potter’ in the New Testament. Therefore it is remarkable what the Gospel says regarding the betrayer of Jesus:
When he found that Jesus had been condemned, then Judas, his betrayer, was filled with remorse and took the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and elders saying, ‘I have sinned. I have betrayed innocent blood.’ They replied, ‘What is that to us? That is your concern.’ And flinging down the silver pieces in the sanctuary he made off, and went and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the silver pieces and said, ‘It is against the Law to put this into the treasury; it is blood-money.’ So they discussed the matter and with it bought the potter’s field as a graveyard for foreigners, and this is why the field is still called the Field of Blood (Matthew 27:3-8).
Matthew then links the account as fulfillment of the prophecy given by the prophet Jeremiah. “‘And they took the thirty silver pieces, the sum at which the precious One was priced by the children of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as the Lord had directed me (vs. 9-10).’”10
How could Jesus manipulate the Sanhedrin to offer Judas thirty pieces of silver and cause Judas to throw the money in the temple and betray Jesus? This obviously confirms the prophecy of Jeremiah as recounted in Zechariah 11.
It is remarkable that both scriptures depict the betrayer refusing his reward, throwing the money (30 pieces/shekels of silver) in the temple and a Potter receiving the blood money. Zechariah predicts what would happen, while the Gospel depicts what actually happened. Another question we are faced with is: How could Jesus arrange the method of His death? The author of the Gospel of Matthew recounts how Pilate offers to release Jesus but instead the crowd demands the release of the criminal Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27:20-22).
How could Jesus control that only He would fulfill all the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament? This overwhelming evidence alone should lead us to the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah. But there is even more evidence; when the disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus and question Him they want to know if He is the long awaited Messiah. He replies:
‘Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skindiseases are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the good news is proclaimed to the poor; and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling (Luke 7:22).’
John already knew that Jesus was the Messiah, (see Luke 3:1-18) as he baptised Jesus in the river Jordan, but he still doubted later on. The answer that Jesus gave confirmed what the prophet Isaiah wrote: ‘Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ear of the deaf unsealed, then the lame will leap like a deer (Isaiah 35:5-6).’ It also confirms Isaiah 61 which Jesus read out in the synagogue, and declares He has fulfilled:
He stood up to read, and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:
‘The spirit of Lord Yahweh is on me
for he has anointed me
to bring the good news to the afflicted.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives,
sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-3).’
Then Jesus links the scripture to Himself while all the Jews stare in amazement: ‘Then he began to speak to them, “This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.” And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips (Luke 4:16-22).’
Jesus’s miracles are a sign indicating the coming of the kingdom of God. He revealed the kingdom of God had come to earth through: His forgiving people’s sins – the Jewish people firmly believed that only God could forgive sins or someone He appointed such as the High Priest; performing such miracles as the raising of Lazarus from the dead – only God could give life; and allowing Himself to be worshipped. Thus Jesus affirms His divinity and also claims to fulfill Isaiah 61:1-11 and thus to be the Messiah. In the Gospel of Matthew He tells them to ‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skin diseases are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor (Matthew 11:5).’ Thus Jesus ushered in the messianic kingdom. He was the personification of the kingdom of God. Isaiah reveals that a son will be born who has dominion and thus kingship. He will be called Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace and His kingdom will extend over the throne of David and will be an eternal reign (Isaiah 9:5-6). This also relates to Psalm 45 which speaks of an eternal throne and a sceptre of justice (Psalm 45:6-7). In the Gospel of Luke Jesus reveals His purpose of being sent (mission) was to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). Jesus also taught that His kingdom was not of this world, thus heavenly as well as already present. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus also emphasises that His kingdom is yet to come as He speaks of a heavenly banquet (Luke 21:31). Once again we see the now and not yet of the God’s reign.
The Church carries on the kingdom of God, proclaiming the good news, helping feed the poor, standing up for justice and truth, helping to care for those who lack sight or hearing. A Jewish man, Sam Miller writes, the ‘Catholic Church clothes, feeds and houses 1 out of 5 indigents in the US at a cost of 2.3 billion dollars a year.’ He also emphasises that the Church does so for people of all faiths and beliefs.
Then he cites the Church having a nonprofit hospital system of 637 hospitals. Unfortunately Miller does not give any sources for his figures. Forbes lists the 200 largest US Charities11 for 2005 of which a Catholic Charity, Catholic Charities USA is the fifth largest according to income and expenditure of 3 billion dollars. But if one takes other Catholic Charities such as Food for the Poor, Catholic Relief Services, St Jude’s Children Hospital and America’s Second Harvest the combined amounts are more than the number one charity, Mayo Foundation. Additionally, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states that the Church in 2007 ran hospitals treating 85 million people (average: 151,245 per hospital) and other health care centres caring for 6.7 million people. Furthermore the US Church has more than 1,688 local charity agencies and institutions helping 8.5 million people annually.12
The Church’s Book of Statistics, updated 31 December 2009
provides worldwide statistics regarding the number of charities and other institutes the Church runs. This includes 5,558
hospitals most of which 1721 are in America and 1290 in Africa; 17,763 dispensaries, 561 care homes for people with Leprosy; 16,073 homes for the elderly, chronically ill or handicapped; 9,956 orphonages; 36,933 education or social rehabilitation centers; 12,050 other charities; and 13,736 marriage counseling centres.13
Because the Church is a living Church made up of people the leaders and even saintly members such as St Therese of Liseux constantly look at renewal. St Therese envisioned renewal within the heart of the Church, not leaving it or setting up another one. As we look lovingly at our Church we see there could be improvements made. The Church is often criticised for seemingly having too much money. Could the Church sell all its assets, or art and give the money to the poor. Would this solve poverty? It is obvious that where there is corruption there is poverty. When the majority of the wealth is with the select few, such as the Rupert Murdochs and Donald Trumps of the world then poverty will remain. The Church has art which helps one’s soul delight in beauty and contemplate our faith and thus God. It is a heritage for people of all beliefs to delight in.
Incidentally we can ask: does the Church do enough to help the poor? Members of the Church could always do more. You and I could do more. As illustrated above, the Church does a lot already and this should not be discounted but acknowledged. Could she do more, yes with our help she certainly could.
Many people envisage that the Catholic Church is bursting at the seams with an excessive amount of money in its coffers. Under the orders of Pope John Paul II, from 1981 the Vatican has published an annual report to debunk such a myth. In fact from 2007-2009 the Vatican ran at a loss with deficits of 9.06 million euros, 0.9 million euros and 4.01 million euros respectively. The losses came amidst the global economic crises which led to fewer donations.14 Such saintly men as Father Damien of Molokai were the instrument of God to change hardened hearts and help them open to God’s love as he cared for and served a leper colony even to the point where he contracted leprosy (There is a movie called ‘Damien of Molokai’ which is very touching and inspirational). The Church has also been involved in miracles through its sacrament of healing and the prayers of the people where miraculous healings have occurred, including inner healings.
One may have wondered why the Roman authorities had to crucify Jesus. If He was a harmless sage travelling around telling nice stories then why did Pilate put on the Cross above His head a sign saying ‘The king of the Jews’? Jesus claimed He was a king. But more pertinently for such a sign, enough people acclaimed Him as king.
Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus In Jesus’s resurrected state He appeared to more than 500 of His followers on several different occasions over a forty-day period. During this time He talked to them, ate with them, let them touch His wounds, and cooked breakfast for them. Is this what an illusion would do?
But the fact that both the Old Testament and Jesus Himself predicted His resurrection makes this miracle even more astonishing.
They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem; Jesus was walking on ahead of them; they were in a daze, and those who followed were apprehensive. Once more taking the twelve aside he began to tell them what was going to happen to him, ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man [sic] is about to be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the gentiles, who will mock him and spit at him and scourge him and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again (Mark 10:32-34).’
Jesus not only predicted His resurrection, but it is implied in the Old Testament that the Messiah would rise from the dead; the Scriptures predicted that the Messiah would overcome death (Sheol means death):
So my heart rejoices, my soul delights,
My body too will rest secure,
For you will not abandon me to Sheol,
You cannot allow your faithful servant to see the abyss (Psalm 16:9-10).
Yahweh, you have lifted me out of Sheol,
From among those who sink into oblivion you have given me life (Psalm 30:3).
But my soul God will ransom
From the clutches of Sheol, and will snatch me up (Psalm 49:15).
I shall not die, I shall live
To recount the great deeds of Yahweh.
Though Yahweh punished me sternly,
He has not abandoned me to death (Psalm 118:17).
The people of the Old Testament didn’t know the meaning of these Scripture passages, but following the death and resurrection of Jesus the Catholic Church revealed their meaning. It is important to note that Yahweh’s punishment of Jesus links to taking upon Himself the sins of the world.
A former atheist, Wolfhart Pannenburg, now a famous Scriptural scholar, examined the evidence for the resurrection. At the conclusion of his investigation he declared:
The resurrection of Jesus acquires such decisive meaning, not merely because someone has been raised from the dead, but because it is Jesus of Nazareth, whose execution was instigated by the Jews because He had blasphemed against God. If this Man was raised from the dead, then that plainly means that the God whom He supposedly blasphemed has committed Himself to Him.15
The same theme is displayed in an article in Time magazine regarding a Jewish rabbi who recognised the resurrection of Jesus: ‘Pinchas Lapide’s logic escapes me. He believes it is a possibility that Jesus was resurrected by God. At the same time he does not accept Jesus as the Messiah. But Jesus said that He was the Messiah. Why would God resurrect a liar?’16
Indeed, if God did resurrect Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah and thus equal with God (forgiving sins was only something that God could do), then He did not resurrect a blasphemer; God the Father resurrected the Messiah, the chosen one, the Prince of Peace. He resurrected His very own Son. Therefore Sacred Scripture is the very word of God – the living word by which we all should study and follow, with the guidance of God’s Church. If Jesus was a liar, and a blasphemer He could not be the Son of God; He could not be divine. Therefore God did not resurrect a liar!
Hallucinations Some denounce the Scriptural accounts of the resurrection of Jesus as hallucinations by Jesus’s loved ones, confused that they had seen their risen Lord. Professor Gary Habermas, author of over seven books pertaining to the resurrection of Jesus, rebuts this:
Hallucinations are individual occurrences. By their very nature only one person can see a given hallucination at a time. They certainly aren’t something which can be seen by a group of people. Neither is it possible that one person could somehow induce an hallucination in somebody else. Since an hallucination exists only in this subjective, personal sense, it is obvious that others cannot witness it.17
It was impossible for there to have been mass hallucinations; there are many instances of Jesus appearing after His resurrection, including to over 500 people in one instance (1 Corinthians 15:6) and consequently the risen Jesus ate with His disciples (Luke 24:44-49).
Jesus also appeared to two women, Mary
of Magdala and the other Mary (see Matthew 28: 1-7). It is remarkable that Matthew would write this as he was a Jew and patriarchal male; if he had fabricated it he would have put someone seemingly of more importance than a couple of women – socially and religiously they were viewed as inferior to men and therefore untrustworthy witnesses. So culturally it would have been repugnant that Jesus would appear to women first.
‘And the women came up to him and, clasping his feet, they did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; there they will see me (Matthew 28:9-10).’
The next passage shows that the resurrected Jesus could be touched. It is vital to point out that if Jesus had not in fact died and merely became unconscious He would not have been able to walk unaided so soon after the crucifixion! And He would definitely not ask His followers to touch the vulnerable wounds definitely not ask His followers to touch the vulnerable wounds 29). That would have been excruciating!
Jesus appeared to two of His followers on the road to Emmaus. Upon returning to Jerusalem they found the Eleven disciples and while recounting how they had seen Jesus arisen He appeared in their midst:
In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts stirring in your hearts? See by my hands and my feet that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and his feet. Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, as they were dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes. Luke 24:33-43.
Summary No other historical figure has ever fulfilled all the Old Testament Messianic prophecies – only Jesus Christ has. The evidence is compelling. Isaiah 53 is a description of the future crucifixion scene, before the method of crucifixion was even invented. Moreover, it’s remarkable that even the amount with which Christ would be betrayed with was prophesied.
God: Fact or Fiction?: Exploring the Relationship Between Science Religion and the Origin of Life Page 21
