The Truth Standard

Have you ever been on the defense for your faith?  Anyone ever said anything like this to you-- ‘You Christians—you’re so arrogant, believing that Jesus is the only way to God…’?  I know what Jesus said to such a statement—and so we can reply with, ‘Well, actually, I didn’t say it, Jesus did—“I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through me.”1   I didn’t say it; Jesus’ words are recorded in Scripture, and I guess that’s good enough for me.’  A long time ago, I settled on the Bible as the standard on which to live my life…on what standard do you base your life?

“Examined objectively, the claims of the Bible are rational propositions well supported by reason and evidence.”2 Besides scientific, archaeological and historical corroboration, fulfilled prophecies are further evidence that the Bible is trustworthy.  God himself said, “I have declared the former things from the beginning; they went forth from my mouth, and I caused them to hear it.  Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them.’"3  And then Jesus said: Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.4 

When Jesus Christ was born, He was the fulfillment of about 60 major prophecies concerning the Messiah.  These were promises given to God's people.  Christianity rides on the fulfillment of these prophecies in our Lord.  Is Scripture reliable? See for yourself.

Look at just eight of the prophecies about Jesus, spoken between 500 and 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

On the left you will see the prophecy, and where it appears in the Old Testament, and on the right, where the Gospels record its fulfillment.

Prophecies that Jesus would be:

Born in Bethlehem                    Micah 5:2                Matthew 2:1, 2:4-8, Luke 2:4-7; John 7:42

Preceded by a messenger (john the baptist)    Isaiah 40:3             Matthew 3:1-2, 11:10, Luke 1:17; John 1:23

Would enter Jerusalem on a donkey       Zechariah 9:9           Matthew 21:6-11, Luke 19:35-37a

Betrayed by a friend                     Psalm 41:9                                    Matthew 10:4

Sold for 30 pieces of silver              Zechariah 11:12                            Matthew 26:15

Money thrown down, used to buy       Zechariah 11:13                            Matthew 27:5, 27:7

      a potter's field

Dumb before His accusers               Isaiah 53:7                                  Matthew 27:12

Hands and feet pierced                  Psalm 22:16                                    Luke 23:33

 **The chance that any man might have lived and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17^th  --  1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000        Science Speaks, Peter Stoner

Yes, Friends, God’s Word is true; it can be trusted.  Psalm 1 talks about the joy of the man who finds delight in the Scripture . . . “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.”

You already live your life based on some kinda’ standard---why not let it be the infallible Word of God?

Christine

1)   John 14.6   

2)   Charles Colson, Christian

3)   Isaiah 48:3,5