The Impossible Imposter
By
Carolyn Hulliberger
“But
he was pierced for our transgressions,
He
was crushed for our iniquities;
The
punishment that brought us peace was on him,
And
by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah
53:5 (NIV)
In the early 1900’s,
the U.S. was in a state of “Chaplinitis.” Charlie Chaplin’s silent movie
character became a phenomenon and from it sprung a pastime of “look-alike”
contests. Entertainment folklore says that Charlie himself dressed up in
character and entered a contest in San Francisco.
He failed to make the
finals.
I’m pretty sure Jesus
could relate to how Charlie might have felt.
Since Old Testament
times, the human race has been looking for Messiah. Prophets have foretold
hundreds of details about Messiah, and dozens have claimed to be the Promised
One.
Only One fulfilled them
all…Jesus Christ of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) of the Virgin Mary
(Isaiah 7:14). A descendant of King David (Isaiah 9:7), he healed
the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1-2) and was rejected by His own people (Psalm
69:8). He was betrayed (Psalm 41:9), falsely accused (Psalm 35:11), crucified
with criminals (Isaiah 53:12), and mocked (Psalm 22:7-8).
Messiah would pray for
His enemies (Psalm 109:4), be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9), resurrect
from the dead (Psalm 16:10 and 49:15), and ascend to heaven (Psalm 24:7-10) as
the sacrifice for all sin (Isaiah 53:5-12).
In fact, there are over
700 biblical prophecies concerning the Messiah. The odds of one person
fulfilling even 48 of them are 1 in 10 to the 157th power.
Mind-boggling!
As we consider how
Jesus fulfills all of these prophesies, let’s remember that everything else
that He said must be true, too.
Which means He’s
Coming Back! This Easter season, as we reflect on the triumph of the
resurrection, let’s also remember that, “…Christ was sacrificed once to take
away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear
sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).
Amazing!
GOING DEEPER:
1. How does
seeing Jesus as the miraculous fulfillment of prophesy affect how you see His
role in your life today?
2. How does
the knowledge that Christ is going to return impact your life?
FURTHER READING:
Along
with caring for her family, Carolyn works as an insurance representative and
serves in Oakwood Church's Student Ministries with an awesome group of junior
high girls.
