Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning we are going to look at four prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus’s life that was spoken about which are recorded for us in the OT.

God revealed these events to the prophets so the world could recognize and know the Messiah when He came.

The first one we will look at is found in Matt.

3.

JOHN THE BAPTIST - THE FORERUNNER OF CHRIST

Matthew 3:1–12 gives us a look into John the Baptist’s preaching that prepared the way for Christ.

For four hundred years before John began his prophetic ministry in the wilderness of Judea, there had been no prophet in Israel.

Many in Judea and Jerusalem went out to hear him.

John himself made a spectacular appearance, living in rough clothing of camels’ hair with a leather belt about his waist.

His food was locusts and wild honey.

His message was abrupt and unyielding; he urged the people to confess their sins (Matt.

3:6; Mark 1:5), and he denounced their religious leaders, especially the Pharisees and the Sadducees, calling them a “brood of vipers!” (Matt.

3:7).

His message was one of repentance and baptism with water as a sign of their spiritual change.

John predicted that after him would come the prophesied One, “whose sandals I am not worthy to carry” (v.

11).

His message was a practical one.

“Anyone who has two shirts should share” (Luke 3:11), and the people should do likewise with their surplus of food.

Publicans were exhorted not to extort taxes but only take what was legal.

Soldiers were told not to do that which was violent and not to falsely accuse others (vv.

13–14).

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each viewed John as fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah 40:3: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Matt.

3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4).

John made it clear that he was not the Messiah, but he also anticipated that the true Messiah might appear at any time.

JESUS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE JORDAN

In Matthew 3:13–17, when John protested at the thought of baptizing Jesus, he nevertheless was told by Jesus to do so.

After Jesus was baptized, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all recorded the voice from heaven declaring that Jesus was the beloved Son of the Father.

Luke declared that at Jesus’s baptism the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a dove and the voice speaking from heaven was God the Father, a clear indication of the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

John also stated the same account,

The commendation of Jesus by God the Father was anticipated in Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1.

JESUS IN HIS HEALING MINISTRY WOULD FULFILL PROPHECY

Matthew 12:9–20 shows Jesus as a healing servant and thus fulfilling God’s prophecy.

Because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees plotted to kill Him (vv.

9–14).

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place.

A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.

He warned them not to tell others about him.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

As Isaiah prophesied, Jesus was a delight to God the Father, beloved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

He would proclaim justice but would not quarrel or cry out.

His would ultimately be the victory (vv.

18–20).

JESUS AS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

In John 10:1–18, Jesus expanded on the fact that He was the Good Shepherd and that His sheep would follow Him.

In verse 5, He said, “But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

When the disciples did not understand this, Jesus enlarged the explanation by declaring, (vv.

7–10).

Jesus was declaring that He is the only Savior and that those who are saved through Him will not only have life but will also have pasture and God’s care.

They will have life and have life to the full (v.

10).

In further elaborating on the declaration that He was the Good Shepherd, Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v.

11).

In contrast to false shepherds who flee when the wolf comes and abandon the sheep (vv.

12–13), Jesus said, in (vv.

14–15).

As the Good Shepherd in dying on the cross, Jesus died for His sheep.

In proclaiming that He was the Good Shepherd, Jesus added, (v.

16).

In this prophecy Jesus was anticipating the church, comprising both Jews and Gentiles, in which the wall of partition between would be broken down and they would be one in Christ, be one flock and have one shepherd.

Jesus then enlarged on His sacrifice of His life, declaring, (vv.

17–18).

Now with Jesus claiming to be the Good Shepherd along with saying that the Shepherd will lay His life down for the sheep we see that Zech 13:7

, which prophesied the manner in which Jesus (who had referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd) would be arrested by armed men, and the way in which the apostles would desert Him following the arrest so that they themselves would not be taken into custody (even though they had all claimed only a few hours earlier that they would die with Him rather than deny or disown Him (Matthew 26:35).

In making the claim to the Good Shepherd, Jesus was anticipating His death on the cross when He would lay down His life for the sheep.

In the case of Jesus, however, He not only had the power to lay down His life, but He also had the power to take it up again—something that had never been true of any previous person raised from the dead.

This was to be the supreme proof of His deity, which His disciples recognized.

As a study of Christ’s resurrection demonstrates, Jesus was not simply restored to the life He had before His death, but He was also given a new body, the pattern of the resurrection body of the saints that they will receive at the time of the resurrection or rapture.