Alright, we're going to have
to shorten our text on account of time, but verse 26 through
verse 31 is our text of the morning, and that text says this. Paul
is standing to speak to the assembly in the synagogue in Antioch.
And he says to them, verse 26, Men and brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you, feareth God. To you is this word of salvation
sent, for they that dwell at Jerusalem and their rulers, because
they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which
are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning
him. And though they found no cause
of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be
slain. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and
laid him in a supplicant. But God raised him from the dead,
and he was seen many days of them, which came up with him
from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. Now, in the very beginning, we
best get our contextual bearing that we might better understand
the situation. So let's take a quick, and I
do mean quick, overview of chapter 13 of the book of Acts. When we read, we find this is
the beginning of a very important period in the history of the
early church. Here is the commencement of the
ministry of the Apostle Paul as the Apostle unto the Gentile. From here we have a record of
his three missionary journeys that he made, carried on from
the church there in Antioch. And it was on this wise that
it came to pass. Chapter 11 of Acts, verse 25
and verse 26, Barnabas had gone down to Tarshish, there he had
found Saul and he fetched him to the church that was at Antioch
where for a year they, Paul and others, taught the people the
things of God. By the way, it was there in Antioch
that the disciples of our Lord were first called Christians. Acts 11 and verse 26. And it was soon after this that
Saul became known as Paul, and you'll find that in Acts chapter
13 and verse 9. Now being set apart by the Holy
Spirit of God, Paul sets out here from the church on his first
missionary journey along with Barnabas. And there were others
in the party or the company of Paul, Acts 13, and they sailed,
first of all, to the island of Cyprus. From there, after having
ministered some, they sailed over to Perga in Pamphylia, then
to Antioch in the country or region of Pisidia. And there,
on a certain Sabbath day, they attended a synagogue service
in that city, as it was Paul's custom to do on his missionary
journey. And when they had finished reading,
that is, when the leaders and the rulers had finished reading
from the prophets and the psalm, and the law as was their custom
in a synagogue service, Paul and Barnabas had extended to
them the courtesy of a visitor being allowed to stand and address
the congregation if they had some word of exhortation. You'll find that in verse 15
of our chapter. And Paul, of course, avails himself
of that opportunity to stand and to speak something unto the
people. And he delivers in verse 16 through
verse 41 an overview, if we may call it that, of the dealings
of God with the Jewish nation down through their history, which
in some way resembles that of Stephen in the seventh chapter
of the book of Acts. We'll not look at it in detail,
but Paul starts by speaking of God's choosing of their father
Abraham. Then he chose them to be a peculiar
people and a peculiar nation unto himself, and he delivered
them out of the land of Egypt. That's in verse 17 of our chapter. He suffered long with them in
the wilderness. You'll find that In verse 18,
he destroyed their enemies and he gave them the possession of
Canaan. You'll find that in verse 19. And he gave them for a time judges. Then he gave them Samuel, a prophet
among them, that in verse 20. Then they desired that they might
have a king like the other nations round about them, and God gave
them Saul. That you'll find in verse 21. Then in verse 22, God removed
Saul and he raised up David to sit up on the throne. And he
gave witness to David that he was a man after God's very own
heart. verse Samuel 13 and verse 14,
wherein God would fulfill His will in and through David. If we might look again at verse
23. Of this man's seed hath God,
according to promise, raised up unto Israel a Savior, Jesus. Now here Paul makes his stand. Here he speaks unto them, saying
unto them, God promised David, God promised him that of the
fruit of his loins he would raise up one to sit upon the throne. that of the fruit of him he would
raise up and anoint it. That's also in Acts chapter 2
and verse 30. That, by the way, is a quotation
from Psalm 132 and verse 11 that says this, the Lord has sworn in truth unto David, he will
not turn from it, of the fruit of thy body will I set one upon
the throne." However, Paul in Acts 13 and verse 22 puts it
down as an accomplished fact. That God had done that. That
God, in keeping with His promise, has raised up unto Israel a Savior. And that is Jesus. And this was
witnessed to greatly when it occurred. For example, in Luke
chapter 2 and verse 11. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Now
Paul has a purpose in this text, in Acts chapter 13. His aim is
to convince the Jewish hearers that Jesus of Nazareth that was
born in the city of David and that was crucified on the cross
in Jerusalem was indeed that one that had been promised unto
David. that he is indeed the seed of
David. Now we see something in Psalms
132 and verse 11 that was and is a staple, that is a chief
part of God's contention with his people. an oath of swearing. It is said there that God did
swear. The Lord has sworn in truth unto
David and he will not turn from it. For example, in Psalm chapter
89 and verses 3 and 4, I have made a covenant with my chosen. I have sworn unto David my servant. In verse 34 and 35 of that chapter,
my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone
out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness
that I will not lie unto David." Again in Psalm 110 and verse
4, the Lord has sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. The Hebrew author writes, chapter
6 and verse 13, when God made promise to Abraham, because he
could swear by no greater, he therefore swear by himself. Now Paul's point in regard to
David's seed is well summed up, I think, in the commentary of
F.F. Bruce on the book of Acts. What's more, in verse 24 and
verse 25 of our chapter 13 of Acts, John the Baptist, who was
himself a Jew, gave witness that Jesus was the one that was sent
from God. Calvin called it, quote, that
most famous of heralds, quote, referring, of course, to John
the Baptist. John proclaimed Jesus to be the
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. That one
was the Messiah. That one was not John, but it
was the Lord Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth. He was the object of
their prophecy, of their promises, and of the hope of Israel. Then in verse 26 of our chapter
and following, Paul addresses those in the synagogue on that
day and occasion. He addresses children of Israel
and fearers of God. Thus, he includes both Jew and
Gentile that were present on that occasion. And he says to
them, to you this word of salvation is sent. That is, the salvation
that is in Jesus Christ our Lord, in him and only in Him. He is the only Savior from sin. Eternal life is only in Him. The word of salvation, the gospel
concerns this one who is the seed of David raised up. But then to get closer to our
subject and to our text, Paul would then call to their attention,
Paul would have them to consider how those things that were done
by Christ and done unto Christ were fulfillments of the prophecies
made concerning him. how the messianic prediction
of the law and the prophet were made, as it were, to meet in
Jesus Christ of Nazareth and were fulfilled in him during
his days upon the earth. There are two verses here in
the passage that we read this morning that we ought to reread
because they are our focus of the day. The first one is part
of verse 27. Because they knew not him, nor
yet the voices of the prophets, which were read every Sabbath
day, watch, they have fulfilled in condemning him. What they
heard but did not understand, they have fulfilled in condemning
him unto death. Speaking of those things in Jerusalem
and their rulers that were there. Now this seems to be a paradox. Does it not? That is a statement
that seemingly cannot be reconciled. So let's hear it again, because
the essence of it is this, not knowing the voices of the prophet,
they fulfill them in condemning him. Not knowing the voices of
the prophet, they fulfill them in condemning Him, in crucifying
the Lord upon the cross or upon the tree. And the other verse
is found down in verse 29. And it speaks basically of His
time upon the cross. When they had fulfilled all that
was written of Him, then they took Him down from the cross.
But look at that again. when they had fulfilled all that
was written of Him." Now, this brings before us one of the great
proofs that the one born of Mary was indeed the Christ, for in
Him was fulfilled. And let me say, only in Him was
fulfilled those things that the prophet wrote about that special
one. Which, by the way, are evidences
also of the infallibility and of the inerrancy of the Scripture. That what is predicted in the
Old Testament Scripture is fulfilled and written up in the unfolding
of the New Testament and the Scripture there. Before we dive
off too deep into this, let's put some more scripture on the
record regarding the fact of our subject this morning, that
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. We read that in Revelation 19,
And verse 10, that much of what the prophets said, quote, concerned
the Messiah and their prophecies flowed toward him, unquote. Now consider in this light a
couple of passages found early on in the book of Acts and spoken
by the servant of the Lord shortly after Pentecost. in Acts chapter
2 verse 22 and verse 23, that Jesus, Peter said, was delivered
up to the death of the cross by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God. And stronger yet is the passage
found in Acts chapter 4 verse 27 and verse 28, that what was
done unto Jesus was whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before was to be done. That the horrible things that
were done to our blessed Lord and Savior were what God had
appointed Him to suffer. even the agony and the death
of the cross, to which he was obedient to death. Philippians
chapter 2 verse 8, being obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Now, nothing which Christ endured
or which he suffered or which was done to him or which was
inflicted upon him, none of that flew out of the bounds of the
will of God or went against or contrary to the prophecies in
the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself
said in Luke 22 and verse 22, the Son of Man goes as it was
appointed. Listen to that. He's talking
there about His being betrayed by an enemy. The word here, as
it was determined, is the word horizo, and it includes the meaning
to mark out or to set bounds, to appoint or even to decree,
to limit. It is like our English word horizon. a line, as it were, that we see
in the distant. Now this word is used again in
Acts chapter 2 and verse 23. It's used there in the verb form,
determinate, by the determinate counsel and will of God. And in Acts 17 and verse 26,
it is there regarding the fixing of bounds and of season. It is used in Romans 1. and verse
4, and translated in King James as declared. And in Luke 22 and
22, it refers to the appointed or decreed pathway of the incarnate
Christ. And it has to do with His coming
betrayal at the hands of Judas. Now, the prophecy of his betrayal
is written up in the Old Testament scripture. This was a subject
of prophecy in Psalm 41 and verse 9, the scriptures foretelling
the fact of his betrayal. The betrayal was in place and
the one that did it accompanied with the Lord and ate bread with
him and was not an outsider. Acts 1 17 said he was numbered
with Peter and numbered with the others. He even obtained
a portion, a share of the ministry. He obtained a share, a portion
of the ministry. And in Acts chapter 1 and verse
15 through verse 26, the apostle speaks, the apostle Peter speaks
there concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. He discerns the Scripture, Peter
does. He discerns the Scripture to
be speaking of this matter that was before them now, saying in
Acts 1, And verse 16, men and brethren, the scripture must
needs be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spake by the mouth
of David before concerning Judas. Now, the prophecy didn't call
him by name, but it turned out to be Judas, and that was his
name. His point is, as James A. Alexander wrote in his commentary
on the book of Acts, is that the betrayal of our Lord was
foretold in the Old Testament Scripture and therefore could
not fail to be fulfilled or to come to pass. And the betrayal
of our Lord was a very important event in prophecy, and it set
in motion a chain of events that culminated in the crucifixion
of the Holy One of God. And by the way, the Scripture
that Peter has in mind is Psalm 69, and verse 25, we know that from
Acts 1 and verse 20. But let's go back to the two
verses from our original text in Acts 13. Verse 27, that states
that those that killed Jesus, and listen to Acts 4, 27, lists
the conspirators as being Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, the people
of Israel. These fulfill the Scripture in
condemning the Lord. When they condemn the Lord, all
of them together bringing it to pass, they fulfill the Scripture. Now let's be careful here. But
this does not mean when they fulfilled the Scripture, it does
not mean that they took care to make sure that their acts
were Scriptural or according to the Scripture. It was not
that they considered whether they were following the Scripture
and the things that they foretold concerning the Lord. The very
opposite is true, that even though they acted in envy and ignorance
and malice, yet what they did fulfilled the Scripture, the
words of the prophet. And concerning the rulers or
the princes, as in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 8, They acted in
ignorance, as the verse has it, because they knew him not. They
knew that he was a Jew, and they knew that he was Jesus of Nazareth,
known that way, but they did not know are recognized the true
character or person or nature of the one they condemn. And
in Acts 3 in verse 17, they killed the prince of life and they did
it in ignorance. Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 2,
verse 8, None of the princes of this world knew, for had they
known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. For who is
there that would willingly, intentionally crucify the very Son of God who
had come down from heaven? Still those who took the lead,
those who had a leading hand in putting Christ unto death
without knowing it, quote, unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy which
told how he was to suffer and die, unquote. As for the people
who followed Judaism, they did not recognize the Lord Jesus
Christ of Nazareth in the voices of the prophet. And these prophets
were read every Sabbath day in the synagogue about Jureh. Nor should this surprise us,
for Isaiah foretold, according to John 12, verse 37 through
41, and that's taken from Isaiah 53 and verse 1, and from Isaiah
chapter 6 and verse 10, that the people would not believe
and that they would be smitten with blind eyes and hardened
hearts. Isaiah predicted that centuries
before it occurred. Had it been otherwise, Jesus
had not been the one that the Scriptures predicted. But the
majority of the Jew reacted exactly as Isaiah had said that they
would. And it happened unto them exactly
as David predicted. In Psalm 69, verse 22, 23, you'll
find Paul quoting this in Romans 11, verse 9 and 10. And here's what Paul writes,
And David said, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap,
and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them. Let their eyes be
darkened, that they might not see, and bow down their backed
forever." Paul said, had they known, they would not have killed
the Prince of Light. And if the body of the Jewish
nation had owned him to be the Messiah, had they seen how much
he matched the prophecy and they were fulfilled in him, they would
not have wished him to have been put to death. Judas, however,
was the instrument of betrayal. So the Jews and the wicked hands
of the Romans were the instruments of putting him to death in the
manner that they did on the cross in Jerusalem. Now, what's more,
the Lord was not only to die, but he was to die in a certain
way, and he was to die at a certain time in the period of history. He was to be lifted up. He was
to be lifted up upon a tree, like the serpent in the wilderness. Isaiah said he was to be numbered
with the transgressors. He was to die an accursed death. Galatians 3, 10 through 13. His
death was not to be natural, I'll call it. His death was not
to be the result of any sickness. His death was not to be the result
of any accident, if we may name it that. nor at his own hand,
that is, suicide. So let us see how the sovereign
providence of our great God guided the whole matter. That when the
Jews were first willing and determined to put him to death, they at
one time attempt to cast the Lord off of a cliff or a hill
that he might die in the fall. Luke 4.29, they took him and
would cast him off of a hill. Other times, according to the
Jewish custom, they took up stones and would have stoned our Lord.
John 8.59 and 10.31. But these were not to be the
manner of his death that God had appointed. Cursed is he that
hangs upon a tree, lifted up like the serpent yonder in the
wilderness. Now again, consider the issue
of the Jew and the Roman governor Pilate. What a back and forth
they had for a while. The Jews did not have the authority
to impose the death penalty upon anyone. John 18 and verse 31,
they said, we have brought him to Pilate. What has he done?
We would not have brought him if he were not a criminal. And
he said, take him and judge him. They said, we don't have the
authority to put one unto death. And so they sought the authority
of Pilate to put the Lord unto death. But Scripture is clear. Pilate did not think that it
was a case worthy of death. Luke 23.4, 23.14. John 18, 38, Luke 23, and verse
15, all of those Pilate did not think it was a case worthy of
death. When he sent him over to Herod,
neither did Herod think that it was a cause worthy of death. And consequently, in Acts 3 and
verse 13, Pilate took it to be a squabble over religion. Pilate knew that this was a religious
squabble that they were having, and it says there in Acts 3.13,
Pilate was determined to let him go. Pilate was determined
to free Jesus. He was determined to release
Him. Some say that the Word decided.
He decided to release Him, not to the custody of the Jew, but
to dismiss the charges against Him and to set Him free. Luke 23, verse 13, where the
Word is used. Pilate would have released the
Lord He had decided to do so. It behooved the Lord to suffer,
however, and to die, and to rise again. And the case is in the
lap of Pilate. He is determined to let Jesus
go. The Jews are determined that
He die. And they pressure Pilate to crucify
Him. And humanly speaking, and from
a strict secular view, the authority of Pilate, apart from the guiding
providence of God, Pilate could have enforced his decision and
ruling. He had the authority, he had
the soldiers, he had the power, the might of the governor. And
as it were, the secret providence of God did carry the matter to
the fulfillment of the Scripture, what the Word of God had said. It is interesting when we read,
Pilate determined to let him go. It is interesting when we
read in the Gospels that Pilate made three attempts to appease
the Jew that he might release Jesus and extricate himself from
the great dilemma that he was in. I'll give them to you quickly. Number one, in John chapter 18
and 31, the first thing that Pilate tries is this. Knowing
it was a religious matter, knowing it was a religious fight and
squabble, he tells them, take him and judge him according to
your law. Also compare, if you might, Acts
18, 14 through 16, where we see that thought again. This they
rejected, for they wanted to put Christ to death. Nothing
less would satisfy them. So they did not take Him and
judge Him according unto their law. Now the second thing, that
Pilate tried is a bit more drastic. You'll find it in Luke 23 and
22 where Pilate, when they would not be assuaged from their determination,
Pilate said, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll chastise him and
I'll let him go. Even though he's innocent, I'll
whip him, I'll give him a whipping and let him go, hoping that this
would pacify them Since he found nothing worthy of death again,
however, they reject that. They want him put upon the cross.
The third thing that he tried is in Matthew chapter 27 and
verse 17. He said, Every year at this time, we release
one unto you. I'll tell you what I'll do. And
he brought Barabbas out. Now, Barabbas was one of the
worst of the worst. And he brought Barabbas out and
he said, Which will you that I release, Barabbas or Jesus? hoping that they would not release
Barabbas the worst. And yet, they did. And so, this
again is foiled. Now, there is a second statement
in Acts 13 and 29 about the fulfilling of prophecy in the death of our
blessed Savior. When they had fulfilled all that
was written of Him They took him down from the tree. Now again, it is not a matter
of them checking off one scripture after another and making sure
that they are diligently following scripture. The prophecy, the
fulfilling of scripture never entered into their mind. Perhaps
the best example of that is Acts 13 and verse 29, is found in
John chapter 19. John chapter 19 is a wonderful
providential chapter of the fulfilling of Scripture. In verse 23 and
verse 24, where it is said that the soldiers casting their lots
for the vesture of Jesus, for that garment that He had, it
said they fulfilled the Scripture. They odd-manned for the garment
of Jesus, as we might say, and it fulfilled the Scripture. And
that Scripture is Psalm 22 and verse 18. In verse 28 through
30 of John 19, when Jesus said in His agony,
on the cross I thirst. It caused Psalm 69 and verse
21 to be fulfilled that said, in my thirst they gave me vinegar
to drink. Then in verse 31 through verse
36 of John 19, when the soldiers came to break the legs of the
three that it might hasten their death, They did not break the
legs of Jesus because he was already dead. And this fulfilled
the scripture of Exodus 12 and verse 46 and Numbers 9 and verse
12 that said, a bone of him shall not be broken. Even in John 19,
verse 34 and verse 37, when one of the soldiers that came thrust
a spear into the side of the Lord, it fulfilled Zechariah
12 and verse 10, they shall look on him whom they have pierced. There are many other like such
things that were done to our Lord Jesus Christ that fulfilled
the Scripture. Now, we see the significance
of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15 and verses 1-4. He said there, in essence, that
Christ died, that He was buried, and that He was raised again
according to the Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15, 1-4. According to the Scripture. In dying for our sin, it was
according to the Scripture. Each step was in exact harmony
with the holy scriptures written some of them centuries before. All that was done to him, all
that he suffered in his life and particularly in his death
was according to the scripture. How often we read in the New
Testament that the scripture might be fulfilled. The scripture
saith this and that. He suffered according to the
scripture. Now this is a testimony to the
infinite wisdom and might of the almighty and sovereign God. to decree all things and then
cause them to come to pass exactly as He had decreed and prophesied. And the prophetical writings,
think about this, covering, some say, a span of 1,500 years, one
writer not knowing the other. Yet how sweetly they all agree
and come together in perfect harmony. You know, there are
a lot of people who have a fit over prophecy. They love prophecy. You say you're going to have
a prophecy conference. Here they come with their Bibles,
their pencil, and their notebook. And then you preach on predestination
and those same ones get mad. Now what is prophecy but predestination
and that being fulfilled according to the will of God? Well, one
more thing or two, it is a testimony to the omnipotence of God that
all things fell out according to His will and Word. And by
the way, this is also an evidence of the infallibility and the
inerrancy of the Scripture of the Word of God, that things
predicted centuries ago exactly came to pass in our Lord, and
especially the Old Testament prediction which came to pass
in the appearing of Christ and were fulfilled there in the first
age of the gospel, such as His death and resurrection. such as the apostasy of the Jews. How often was this predicted
in the Old Testament Scripture, and we see that it came to pass. And another great work was the
calling of the Gentiles, predicted in the Old Testament Scripture,
and we see it begin its fulfillment in the New Testament Scripture. Now, all of this gives us the
utmost confidence in the Scripture, in the Word of our God, that
they are indeed the writing of our great God. They are the inspired
Word of our God that Scripture, so long ago written, is minutely
fulfilled in the blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When they had fulfilled all that
was written, Jesus is the essence of the prophecies. Thank God
for that great truth.