One of the things I enjoy the most about being a pastor is teaching bible classes. My favorite class to teach is the Bible Information Class that I call Christianity. It’s a class that teaches the very least every believer ought to know. Although I often have long time Lutherans attend, the class was original designed for: people who were interested in membership but wanted to first make sure they knew what they were getting into, people who had drifted away from the church but wanted to make God a priority in their lives again, or just people who were curious about Christianity. As a result, the questions asked in this class tend to be very raw, fundamental, and essential. The people who attend this class are not concerned about nuances and subtle distinctions of doctrine, they are not interested in hearing me wax eloquent on the Genus Majestaticum and how it relates to the dual natures of Christ. They are just trying to make sense of a sea of seemingly unconnected Bible bits.
Teaching this class is a lot like playing a game of connect the dots.[1] Over here you have a passage that says, “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”[2] Next to it is a passage that says, “the wages of sin is death.”[3] Not too far away is a passage that says, “the soul who sins is the one that will die”[4] and next to that one is a passage that says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”[5] But way over here you also have a passage that says, “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.”[6] Next to it is a passage that says, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”[7] “Again not too far away is a passage that simply says, “God is love”[8] and another that says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”[9]
Connecting the dots is what Jesus spent most of His time doing in the days and weeks that followed the resurrection. Last week we focused our attention on one of Jesus’ disciples named Thomas. I mentioned that Thomas’ fellow disciples were trying to convince him that the empty tomb was full of peace. But what I did not spend much time on was explaining how those disciples had come to that understanding. Remember, at first, these disciples were just as baffled and befuddled as Thomas. The first part of our gospel lesson describes a group of people who were “startled and frightened”[10]. When Jesus appeared to them, they thought He was a ghost. Even after He let them touch his flesh and bones they still thought this was all too good to be true.
To say the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus was confusing for the disciples is a major understatement. When they set out to follow “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote”[11], as Philip explained to Nathanael, they imagined they would be following a “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”[12] as Isaiah described. That the Messiah should die, especially in the manner in which Jesus died, was offensive to the Jewish people. When it happened, the disciples were devastated. They thought they had connected the dots, but when Jesus gave up His last breath, it was as if a giant eraser had wiped away all the lines.
To help them make sense of a sea of seemingly unconnected Bible bits, Jesus said to His disciples, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Jesus tells them “everything must be fulfilled”. Redemption is not a game of horse-shoes. God does not just toss a hand-grenade of hope at humanity. When it comes to God’s plan of salvation close is not good enough. Every feature, facet, and factor of His plan must be accomplished exactly how He said it would be done. In order to be God’s promised Messiah, it was necessary for Jesus to do everything God promised that He would do.
Therefore, everything written in the Law of Moses must be fulfilled. The Law of Moses is how the first five books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy were referred to. These books tell us how the theocracy and the code of law were established among the people of Israel. Theocracy means “governed by God” and describes a form of government where God directly controls all activities of His people by His rules and regulations. The Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws are recorded in the books known as the Law of Moses. But the Law of Moses contains more than laws. Through Moses, God begins to describe His plan of salvation. These books contain several specific promises about the Messiah. Most notable is the promise contained in Genesis 3:15. (You may want to open up your pew bibles and take a look at that one. They are located in the chair pocket in front of you. Genesis is the very first book of the bible. Find Genesis 3:15.) In Genesis 3:15 God promises, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This passage is the very first promise of a Savior from sin. Speaking to the devil, God says He will send a Messiah who will crush the devil’s head. But notice that is not all that God says here. God also says that the Messiah’s heel would be struck. There would be no head crushing without a heel striking. Jesus explains to His disciples, in order for the sons of men to be saved, THE Son of man needed to be sacrificed.
Likewise, everything written in the Prophets must be fulfilled. Keep your bibles open and look up Isaiah 53. When Jesus makes reference to the Prophets He is talking about the 16 men who were blessed with an extraordinary gift of the Holy Spirit. These men did not merely explain what had been already written in the Law of Moses, but they were also messengers of new revelations, given them by divine inspiration. Many, most, I feel like I can say almost all of these new revelations were about the promised Messiah. Through the Prophets God gets increasingly specific about His plan of salvation; through them we hear about a virgin birth and a baby born in Bethlehem, but Isaiah 53 is my favorite. There God says, starting in verse 4, “4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten 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 upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” There then follows a description of a lamb silently standing before shearers like Jesus stood before the chief priests. There’s a mention of one assigned a death among the wicked that describes Jesus crucifixion with a criminal on each side. There’s even a description of one being buried among wealthy people, like Joseph of Aramathea. It finally concludes by saying... “he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Through the prophet, God promised that a great exchange must take place. One in which our guilt is placed on the Messiah and the Messiah’s innocence is given to us. Jesus explains to His disciples, in order for the sons of men to be at peace, THE Son of man needed to be punished.
Finally, Jesus says, everything written in the Psalms must be fulfilled. Open your bible to Psalm 22. When Jesus makes reference to the Psalms, He is talking about the books of inspired poetry found in the middle of your bible. While Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes take an instructive tone, books like Song of Solomon and Psalms describe the emotional effect God’s promises have on His people. Perhaps the most notable promise, that is both instructive and emotional, is Psalm 22. It begins with words that had likely been haunting the disciples since they heard Jesus speak them on Good Friday, “1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” Then there is a rather graphic and ominous description of a what a crucified person would endure, from the viewpoint of the person who was being crucified. It describes the insults the chief priest hurled at Him. It describes pierced hands and feet. It even describes the Roman soldiers casting lots for His clothing. It is a gut-wrenching promise of pain and suffering, but it ends with, “31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he has done it.” Or as Jesus said, “It is finished.”[13] Through the Psalmist, God promised that His plan for our salvation would be accomplished when our debt of sin was paid in full. Jesus explains to His disciples, in order for the sons of men to be forgiven, THE Son of man needed to be forsaken.
Having connected the dots for His disciples, Jesus concluded His lesson by saying, “46 This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” And suddenly the empty tomb that had so baffled and befuddled the disciples was full with understanding.
What a bible class that must have been. Wouldn’t you have loved to have been there as Jesus connected the dots for His disciples? If their reaction was anything like the ones I observe in my Bible Information Class then there were some delightful “Ah-Ha!” Moments; disciples pushing themselves back from the table saying, “Ohhhhhhhh!” “So that’s how all that fits together.” That’s how God justly punished sin, but graciously saves sinners.” “Now I get it.” In order for the sons of men to be saved, THE Son of man needed to be sacrificed. In order for the sons of men to be at peace, THE Son of man needed to be punished. In order for the sons of men to be forgiven, THE Son of man needed to be forsaken. “Now I understand.”
I can’t promise that my Bible Information Class will be anywhere near as awesome as Jesus’ class was. But this coming Sunday at 12pm in our fellowship hall I will do my best to continue connecting dots. If you are struggling to see how some of God’s promises fit together or if you know of someone who is trying to make sense of a sea of seemingly unconnected Bible bits I encourage you join me as we peak into an empty tomb and discover that it is full of understanding. Amen.
[1] On the chancel an easel pad with seemingly random dots is displayed.
[2] Exodus 20:5
[3] Romans 6:23
[4] Ezekiel 18:20
[5] Romans 3:23
[6] Psalm 145:8
[7] Ezekiel 33:11
[8] 1 John 4:8
[9] Psalm 103:12
[10] Luke 24:37
[11] John 1:45
[12] Isaiah 9:6
[13] John 19:30