44 Prophecies About Jesus Christ

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So I lost track of time and wasn't able to write up my post regarding the Old Testament prophecies of Christ's birth, life, death, resurrection, and return.  However I found an article that outlines 44 accounts of prophecy about Jesus Christ in chart form by About.com's Mary Fairchild.  It's really cool!  Definitely check it out!

But here are some prophetic scriptures in the Old Testament that blow me away:

Jesus' Betrayal Prophesied

Zechariah 11:12-13 "I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.  And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord."

Fulfilled in Luke 22:47-48 and Matthew 26:14-16

Jesus' Death

Isaiah 53:4-7  

⁴ 

"Surely he took up our pain

    and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

    stricken by him, and afflicted.

⁵ 

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

    and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶ 

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

    each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

    the iniquity of us all."

Fulfillment in scripture is found in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19.

Jesus' Resuxrrection

Psalm 49:15

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Fulfillment in the scripture is in Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20, and Mark 16.

The Crooked Places

Returning from a weekend-long women's retreat, I am finding myself in the midst of mixed emotions.  On one hand, I am thankful to be home with my husband, baby and creature comforts, but I am almost mourning the close of such a special time.  As I parted with the group of ladies I only get a chance to see once a year, I am experiencing the same emotions I felt as a kid when we would take visiting family to the airport.  It never gets easy to drive away from these times of sweet fellowship!  But each year, I am able to glean such amazing memories and lessons from the time spent with my friends, and every time the Lord uses this retreat to help me overcome challenges within my heart.

We are all faced with challenges, but some challenges are more constant than others.  The challenge of self-image is one of the greatest stumbling blocks for women.  It can distance us from friends, family, husbands, and even strangers.  Because of the wreckless nature of insecurity mixed with guilt, the topic is always present at our weekend retreats.  As a woman, I struggle with this as much or even more than any other women.  I have scoured through self-help books trying to find the anecdote to insecurity.  Amidst moments of self-image induced anxiety, I even remind myself of a friend's definition of insecurity, who calls it "pride upside down."  Regardless of the spiritual knowledge and tools I have to fight off my self-image issues, I have found nothing strong enough to break me from it's wretched pattern ... until this weekend.

The Lord always teaches me through imagery and pictures, and He gave me such a pure image of His power over insecurity through a seemingly small moment during the retreat.  During an evening message by a sweet friend, she quoted Isaiah 45:2a, "I will go before you and make the crooked places straight."  Just moments before, I had journaled in my notebook and asked the Lord to give me power over my feelings of bitterness, resentment and pride regarding my appearance.  When she read this verse in the context of the crooked places within our hearts, I felt the humbling truth penetrate my soul.  

All the years of anxiety and hostility in my heart surfaced to the top and I found myself dealing with all of it right then and there.  As the worship team began to softly play, I cried quietly to myself.  Amidst my emotional road to truth, I felt a hand softly rub my back just like my mother would have in that very moment.  Sitting next to me was, Carlene, a woman I had just met before the message.  Judging by first impression, she looked to be in her late 50's, grandmotherly, conservative and sweet, wearing a matching knit outfit with a blue flower print.  However, the one thing that threw me off were the tattoos on her left-hand fingers.  Although I didn't judge or even give it two thoughts, I definitely didn't anticipate her to reach out to me in such a moment.

As I crumbled even more due to her kind gesture, she leaned over and whispered to me, "If there's something you're hurting about, I can pray for you."  I told her my struggle with anger and resentment, explaining how I deal with it daily as it churns and builds inside me.  As an inside note, my already existing issues with bitterness seem to be exacerbated by insecurities regarding weight gain and a destructive self-image.  However, my issues seemed small as she began explaining to me her own road out of deeply seeded bitterness and anger.  

Carlene shared with me her sweet story of overcoming a lifestyle of substance abuse, destructive relationships and a painful upbringing.  She told me that Jesus had freed her from so many things that should have killed her.  As she shared this with me, tears of joy ran down her face.  While I listened to her story, I noticed that she tended to keep her left hand hidden beneath the table, but at one point she brought it up, resting it on the table.  When she did, I noticed that whatever message had been initially inked across her fingers had been blotted out by more ink and was unreadable.  I started to think about what those blots of ink meant to her - memories of pain, guilt, resent, bitterness, or anger - and how she was faced with constantly carrying the reminder of her past upon her skin.  So moved by her burden and courage in carrying it, I reached up and placed my hand over her ink covered fingers.  When she saw what I had done, she began to weep, humbled and relieved to have someone embrace her "flaws."

We all carry reminders of painful wounds, either on our shell or in the dark, crooked places within our hearts.  What we fail to realize is that the Lord embraces, fills and covers all of these wounds!  He loves us with an unfailing love and He sees us as whiter than snow.  I keep bringing up the image of embracing Carlene's hand when I think about my own flaws and imperfections.  Then, I think of the Lord covering them as He so lovingly does with His nail pierced hands.  Thank you, Jesus, for the sacrifice you made, the unfailing love you give to me, and the way you daily draw me closer to your heart!

Beside Quiet Waters

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters"

~ Psalm 23:2

The Lord creates moments of simplicity and peace for us because He understands our need for them.  He literally provides opportunities within our days that are meant to make us sit still and simply be. The 23rd Psalm always evokes a picture of complete peace in my mind.  When I read it, I can smell the aroma of grass and wildflowers and practically feel the cool, damp ground beneath me.  I close my eyes and imagine the faint bubbling of a brook as it flows across smooth stones and sand.  The Bible says that, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1)  Today, be reminded that the earth is the Lord's and that you are a beautiful part of His intricate and majestic design!

Preparing Our Hearts for Easter

As a child, I loved reading the stories of the Bible.  Almost daily, I would pull out one of our ten, heavy, hard-bound volumes of Arthur Maxwell's The Bible Story collection.  The pages were thick and carried a distinctive musty smell.  The pictures always grabbed my imagination, conveying the emotion, atmosphere and purpose of the stories within each intricate image.  But, out of all the stories and pictures, the only one that drew me to tears was the story of Jesus on the cross.

In my childlike understanding of the story, I felt so sorry for Jesus and heartbroken because of the pain He endured.  However, my perception of the story ended there, and I was not able to fully understand Jesus, Easter, or the need for salvation until I was a teenager, independently studying the Bible for the first time.  Consequently, my concept of Easter became less about wearing a Spring dress and eating pineapple roasted ham because my heart was concentrated on celebrating the profound purpose of the cross.  From beginning to end, the Bible chronologizes the fall of man, the prophecies, life, death, and resurrection a Savior, and the ongoing call to salvation through Jesus Christ.  

Prophecy of a Savior

Within the first three chapters of the Bible in the Book of Genesis, the creation and fall of man takes place at the hands of Adam and Eve, creating a chasm between humans and God.  The rest of the Bible is a continuing story of God’s plan to offer restoration to the world through a chosen Savior.  In 2 Samuel 7:16, the prophet Nathan relays a message from God to King David, saying, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”  God’s promise tells us that He was establishing a divinely royal bloodline through David.  Another of the many Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, or “chosen one,” comes out of Isaiah:

Isaiah 53:3

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

This verse and the context of this passage outline three very important things about the Savior.   It tells us that He would bear pain and death to pay the penalty of sin, and that He would be scorned, ridiculed and condemned in order to become Peace on Earth.  Most importantly, according to this prophecy and many others, His death would provide eternal life and fill the chasm between God and man.

Purpose of the Cross

The four New Testament Gospels tell the story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, a descendant of David.  Within these books, we find parallels and confirmation from Old Testament prophecies that Jesus was the Messiah, and the conclusion of each book tells the story of how Jesus was plotted against, arrested, beaten, chastised, condemned, and killed upon a cross.  However, this was not just the death of a man, but the death of God for man.  Even Jesus stated in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  The purpose of the cross was not only for the Roman government and religious officials to execute Jesus as a penalty for claiming to be the Messiah, but it become an alter where God sacrificed His Son to pay for the sins of the world.  Amazingly, the cross, an instrument of torture and execution, has become something that means life to me.  When I look at the cross, I see the nails and bloodstains, but I also see a love offering and a victory that was won for me by God.  Symbolically, the figure of the cross extends vertically up to heaven and spreads horizontally out to the world, meeting at one point and one place in time.

Providence of Salvation

On Easter, while we remember the death of Jesus Christ, the true celebration is in His resurrection.  Because of His resurrection, Jesus overcame death and overcame the curse of death for the whole world.  Therefore, God has thrown us a lifeline through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is now the bridge that connects us back to God and back into eternal life.  In 1 John 5:5, the author states, "Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."  When we chose to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we accept Him as our Savior and our lifeline.  In words best quoted from Jesus himself, He states in the iconic Easter passage John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Check out this article and others that I've published on Yahoo Voices

That's My King

This past week, my mom paraphrased a statement made by Winkie Pratney, saying, "People respond to the Light in three different ways. Some accept it while others live indifferently to it. However, many try to stomp it out."  If you watch this clip, my prayer is that your response will be the first of those three.  

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His strips we are healed.

Purim: Morbid Cookies and a Reminder of God's Faithfulness

Although I grew up in a gentile, Christian home, I have always been intrigued by the Jewish feasts, festivals and traditions.  In the 1980's, one of the first video tapes my family ever owned was of The Fiddler On The Roof.  I practically wore holes through the film tape, as I watched it at least twice a week.  While the song and dance prone Tevye may not have been the best representation of Jewish tradition, watching his wife in the film lead the Shabbat Prayer was the closest connection I had to a Siddur. However, as I've grown older, I am finding that the heart of reverence which is poured out during these Jewish observances is just as meaningful to me as a Christian.  One particular Jewish custom that is often overlooked by Christians is Purim.

Purim is coming up this year on March 8th, which is just a few days away.  There are practical and fun ways to observe the festival, but there are also more introspective ways to observe its significance and symbolism.   Purim is the Jewish observance of the story of Esther.  While some scholars view this book as simply an excerpt of history to bridge the 400 Silent Years, I see so much significance within the parallels and symbols of God's faithfulness and unfailing love.  

image property of US government

When I read stories from the Bible, I love to read between the lines into the context and ramifications of the story.  Honestly, I hadn't read the full Book of Esther since Bible College, so it was good to look at it with refreshed perspective.  First of all, I find it interesting that Xerxes "ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush," as mentioned in the first chapter of Esther and in the first verse.  Right off the bat, the writer wants you to know that King Xerxes ruled over basically all of ancient Persia, which currently consists of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Lebanon, and Yemen.  In fact, his throne sat in what is now the city of Shush in Iran.  This fact alone sets the stage for the ensuing  irony in the story.

attribution: Forest & Kim Starr

After Queen Vashti displeased the king, he vanquished her and sought to replace her with a commoner.  This is where Esther enters the picture.  In Esther 2:7, we find out that her Hebrew name is Hadassah, meaning myrtle.  In Jewish tradition, the Feast of Tabernacles uses the flowering branches of myrtle to represent "those who have good deeds to their credit despite not having knowledge and study of the Torah."  The fragrant flower also represents the Garden of Eden (BhM II: 52; Sefer ha-Hezyonot 17). It's really amazing how strongly the parallel between Esther and Eve is displayed in this story.  Symbolically, we witness the character of Eve defeating death by the deliverance of a King.  Beautiful!

The most famous quote throughout this whole book is undoubtedly Esther 4:14, where Mordecai appeals to Esther, his niece, a Jew, and the queen:

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this." 

Essentially, Esther would have to sacrifice her own life in order to ensure the salvation of her people.  My NIV Study Bible commentary states that this verse outlines "the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility."  This relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is seen similarly in the Bible as Jesus prepares himself to take on the cross.  As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Peter alludes to God's sovereignty and Jesus act of sacrifice in Acts 2:23-24, saying, "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God ... whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

I find it so beautiful that Purim, a celebration of God's deliverance and faithfulness, would prepare us for the Passover and Resurrection Sunday.  The story of Esther is not just a bridge in Biblical history, it a vital piece within the story of God's salvation and redemption of His creation.  We are loved and desired by God, our Creator and Redeemer.

Now, Let's Make Haman's Ears!

If you skim through my food articles, you will probably noticed I'm big on savory cooking and not so big on making desserts.  While I love sweets, I dislike the preparation steps, mess and hassle. However, Hamantaschen Cookies look simple enough that even I should enjoy making them.  Hamantaschen translates from the Yiddish as "ears of Haman," but I've also seen the cookies called "Haman's Hat."  I found a recipe on Food.com which I'll be using to bake my Haman's Ears (yum?) this Thursday, so be sure to check back for pictures.  I've altered the measurements in order to only make 36 cookies: 

3 large eggs

5/8 cup sugar (I'm just making it a rounded 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

3/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 (9 oz) can poppy seed filling (substitute with prune or apricot filling)

In a nutshell: 1) grease the cookie sheets, 2) Beat eggs, 3) Add sugar, orange peel and melted butter, beating mixture until light and fluffy, 4) Add flour and mix well, 5) Cover and refrigerate for 1.5 hours, 6) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, 7) On a floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness, 8) Cut with a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter or cup, 9) Place an inch apart on cookie sheets, 10) Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto each circle, 11) Moisten edges of dough circles with water, 12) Folding 3 sides in, shape into triangles and pinch corners to seal, 13) Bake for 8-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown, 14) Remove, cool, eat!