Prophecies Fulfilled – Jesus’s Resurrection and Ascension

Welcome back beautiful family!

We’re going to be wrapping up our conversations on prophecies fulfilled through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus today.

But first, a couple of things to consider if you are a newer Christian.

What is resurrection? It was Jesus coming back to life after three days of being dead from his crucifixion. He came back, as a person, again. Not a zombie, not a ghost. A real functioning man without decay, but with the holes in His hands and feet, and the gash in His side from what He suffered on the cross. The gospels give the account of Jesus even eating with the disciples during the 40 day period between His resurrection and His ascension into heaven. I still find that just awesome and amazing.

Jesus’s ascension is similar to what happened with Elijah in the Old Testament. Jesus was lifted into the sky until He could no longer be seen again.

So, let’s get into today’s prophecies.

1. Jesus Raised from Dead
   • Prophecy:
     • For You will not abandon me to Sheol, You will not allow Your faithful one to see decay. – Psalms 16:10
     • But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol, for He will take me – Psalms 49:15
   • Fulfilled:
     • Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was white as snow. The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men. But the angel told the women “Don’t be afraid, because I know you were looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you. – Matthew 28:2-7
     • “Don’t be alarmed” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected, He is not here! See the place where they placed Him. But go tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’” – Mark 16:6-7
2. Jesus Declared Son of God
   • Prophecy: I will declare the LORD’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” – Psalm 2:7
   • Fulfilled: God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising Jesus up as it is written in the second Psalm: You are My Son; today I become Your Father. Since He raised Him from the dead, never to return to decay, He has spoken in this way, I will grant you the faithful covenant blessings made to David. Therefore He also says in another passage, You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay. – Acts 13:33-35
3. Jesus Ascends into Heaven
   • Prophecy: You ascended to the heights, taking away captives, You received gifts from people –Psalm 68:18a
   • Fulfilled: For it says: When He ascended on high, He took prisoners into captivity; He gave gifts to people. But what does “He ascended” mean except that He descended to the lower parts of the earth? The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. – Ephesians 4:8-10
4. Jesus Seated Beside God
   • Prophecy: This is the declaration of the LORD to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool” – Psalm 110:1
   • Fulfilled:
     • After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. – Hebrews 1:3
     • Now to which of the angels has He ever said: Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool? – Hebrews 1:13
5. God Sends the Holy Spirit
   • Prophecy: I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants and My blessing on your offspring. – Isaiah 44:3
   • Fulfilled: After saying this, He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:22

This concludes our journey through fulfilled scriptures, but I want to leave you with this reality.

Statistically speaking, the chances that Jesus fulfilled even 8 of the 60 major prophecies about Him were astronomically impossible.

In fact, a probability study was completed by Dr. Peter Stoner that demonstrated that the chance that Jesus fulfilled 8 along was 1x 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

To give you an idea, that would be equivalent to covering all of Texas 2 feet deep with silver dollars and one of them is marked. All of them are completely mixed and a blindfolded man picks up the marked coin on the first try. It is insane odds! But yet, Jesus fulfilled all of them, down to the last jot and tittle, as Les Feldick would say.

We can rest assured that Jesus is who He said He is. He fulfilled prophecies thousands of years old in His first advent, and there are so many more to still be fulfilled.

Jesus told us He was coming back, and He meant it. You can bank on it. I do.

We’re going to be moving into my favorite subject in all the Bible now, the prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The fancy name for this in theology is eschatology. Buckle up, it’s going to be an awesome and fun journey. I hope you come along with me.

Until next time, beloved.