A Very Good Friday

35 years ago, I asked God a question: “Who was Jesus?” I did not want to just trust what others had told me no matter how well intentioned they may have been.

I had been reading a chapter per day in Psalms and on that Good Friday opened the next chapter: Psalm 22
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?.”
Verse 1a , Jesus' words on the cross
“They say, ‘Commit yourself to the LORD! Let the LORD rescue him! Let the LORD deliver him, for he delights in him.’"
Verse 8 - the words of the crowd, mocking Jesus
“They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments.”
Verse 18 - the actions of the Roman guards

This Psalm was written 1000 years before Jesus, and if you read it you’ll find more of the crucifixion story described in it.

It was God’s answer to my sincere question, and just one example of what sets the Bible apart from all other religious books: fulfilled prophecy.

In that one answer, God showed me two things:

  1. Jesus was who He said He was and 
  2. the authenticity of Scripture
It amazes me that we don't hear more about biblical prophecy from the pulpit when over 25% of scripture is either fulfilled or unfulfilled prophecy. It's equally amazing to me that so many biblical authorities teach that unfulfilled prophecy is more figurative language than prophecy. God gave His people, Israel, a hope for the future in the prophecies of the Old Testament, leading up to the first coming of His chosen Messiah. But biblical prophecy did not stop there. 

There are many unfulfilled prophecies that are unfolding. These were given both to Israel and to the Christian Church so that we, His Elect, will stand firm in the great delusion that is coming over the world, so we will not despair or doubt or go chasing after false messiahs (Matthew 24:24). Rather, we will have the knowledge He has provided as a hope in Him: Jesus is Who He said He is!

“When these things begin to happen, stand with confidence! The time when you will be set free is near.”

copyright ©2024 Mitchell Malloy (http://mitchellmalloyblogspot.com/)

Popular posts from this blog

Is Modern Israel Biblical Israel?

Image
With the growing conflict in the Middle East, the eyes of the world have been turning toward Israel. So it was no surprise when I was asked the question: do I believe that Modern Israel is the same Israel that’s talked about in the Bible. That question is slightly complicated and one that causes some debate in Christian circles. Understanding the complexity of the question To answer this question some people may argue that we must first draw a distinction between Modern Israel and Ancient Israel. There is no doubt that Ancient Israel is all throughout Scripture, and we know historically it was destroyed as a nation. The people of that ancient nation were scattered throughout the world just as God foretold as early as Deuteronomy, one of the first books in the Bible. God warned that this would happen to Israel as consequence of their sins. Known as the diaspora, the Jewish people wandered for thousands of years without a land to call their own and yet they maintained an identity. I don’...
Read more

What is a Soul? (and other related questions)

Ok, let’s be honest, who has ever heard a clear definition of a soul. It’s a mystical, ethereal thing that is somehow the same as and yet different from our spirit (Hebrews 4:12). I’ve heard it described as the mind, will and emotion, which is both true and says absolutely nothing. The best definition I’ve heard is that it’s our habit of thinking, those thoughts we think without realizing that we are thinking, and that concept finally opened doors for me to understand how the soul is indeed the mind, will and emotion all tied up together in a way that describes the essence of who we are.  And that understanding opened many more doors to see how this battleground of the soul is where Satan operates. If he can get us to think wrongly without even realizing our self-sabotage, then the battle is almost won (by him… bad for us!). He can neutralize our efforts by the self-sabotage of our habits of thought. He can create discouraging feelings when God’s Word tells us to be bold and ...
Read more

The Shepherd’s Letter

Image
Published in paperback on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Shepherds-Letter-Mitchell-Malloy/dp/1973415933/ Copyright © 2007 Mitchell Malloy All rights reserved. ISBN: 9781973415930 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All our talents come as a gift from above, and all we do is to imitate the Great Giver with gifts of our own. Soli Deo Gloria!
Read more