Fulfillment

Luke 9:28-36   About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.  As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.  They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.  Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.  As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here.  Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
   While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”  When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.  The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen (NIV).

   What was really going on with this “transfiguration?”  Fulfillment is what was taking place!
   First, the final book of the Old Testament Scriptures is Malachi, and that prophet concluded with the statement: “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6 NIV).
   Elijah came!  In this passage Elijah came and talked with Jesus.  Plus I am convicted Elijah was the one who talked with John the Baptist (see John 1:32-33 and Luke 1:17).  The prophecy of Malachi was fulfilled!
   And the mission of Jesus which resulted in eternal fulfillment was prophesied here!  Jesus would fulfill the Law and Prophets.  Jesus stated, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17 NIV).  Only Jesus, who never sinned (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), was completely obedient under the Mosaic Law.
   And Jesus completely fulfilled the Mosaic Law and Prophets by being the substitutionary atonement on the cross.  How?  The Mosaic Law demanded sacrifice for sins.  Jesus was the Lamb of God.  The Prophets spoke of the need a Savior.  Jesus was the Savior.  This is what Jesus, Elijah, and Moses were talking about; they were talking about Jesus’ coming death on the cross.
   Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  He was the perfect sacrifice, accomplishing what animal sacrifice under the Mosaic Law was unable to accomplish - the permanent atonement for sins.  Because Jesus was God the Son, because He had perfectly obeyed the Law, and because He died in the place of all people as their substitute, He was the Lamb of God.  If you believe in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you will have eternal life in heaven.
Hunter Irvine

Forgiveness of sins

Luke 7:36-50   Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.  When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.  Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
   Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
   “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
   “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender.  One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both.  Now which of them will love him more?”
   Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
   “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
   Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?  I came into your house.  You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
   Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
   The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
   Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (NIV).

   Wow.  Jesus was frequently criticized and persecuted by Pharisees, yet He accepts the invitation of a Pharisee named Simon to have dinner at his house.  That was nice of Simon to have Him over for dinner.  But then Simon the Pharisee doubts Jesus is special because Jesus allows a “sinful” woman to touch Him.
   After telling a short parable, Jesus emphasizes how much the woman has done for Him.  First, Simon the Pharisee did not give Jesus water to clean His feet.  A dinner host in those times in the Middle East would often do so since people’s primary transportation was good old fashion walking, people were in sandals, and people wanted clean feet when “reclining” at the dinner table, which was near ground level as people sat on pillows.
   The woman however, cleaned Jesus’ feet with her tears and hair.
   Second, Simon the Pharisee did not greet Jesus with a kiss.  The common greeting in the Middle East two thousand years ago among men was kissing on the cheek, first on the right and then on the left.  Ironically ancient kissing is an area of expertise, not because of experience; no woman ever kisses me unfortunately.  Rather I did a paper on the “holy kiss” when studying at Colorado Christian University.  In my Research Writing class, our great professor, Dr. Petrie, said she wanted each student to come up with a thesis which was original.  I sure did, picking a Biblical topic I had never heard any Christian discuss, the “holy kiss” mentioned in Romans 16:16, I Corinthians 16:20, and I Thessalonians 5:26.  And in I Peter 5:14, Peter mentions the “kiss of love.”
   Today in “Western” culture, a common greeting is shaking hands.  But two thousand years ago it was not common in the Middle East, rather men would greet one another by kissing on the cheek.  But it was not done between men and women as a casual greeting.  This was a difference between the “holy kiss,” which was done in corporate worship between both genders as brothers and sisters in Christ, to express the love of Christ.
   So appropriate to Middle Eastern culture, it would have been a caring greeting by Simon the Pharisee to greet Jesus with a kiss on both cheeks, but he did not.  The woman however, kept kissing Jesus feet!
   Third, Simon the Pharisee did not pour oil on Christ’s head.  Last year CCU hosted a speaker, Dr. Eric Welch from the University of Kansas, who gave a talk on olive oil.  An entire talk on olive oil?  Yes, and it was fascinating because olive oil was crucial in the Middle East daily life in ancient times.  On top of olive oil’s numerous uses, it was apparently common to pour a bit on the head of a dinner guest.
   But no such action by Simon, yet the woman poured perfume on Jesus’ feet!
   After this whole wild scene of this woman pouring out expressions of love at the feet of Jesus, Jesus does the ultimate.  Jesus states, “Your sins are forgiven.”  Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus is God the Son, and He forgives the sins of the woman.
   Scripture states the woman had lived a “sinful” life.  We also know from Scripture that all of us people have sinned.  This week I did some Scouting work.  In my youth, I was utterly devoted in Boy Scouts.  I did more activities than any other Scout in my troop from 1978 until 1985.  I am an Eagle Scout, I earned 36 merit badges, and I was quite “decorated.”  Most importantly in retrospect, I learned some skills and principles I have utilized throughout my life!  Yet I never perfectly lived up to the Scout Law.  And I sinned against our perfect God; I needed salvation for my soul.  Jesus reveals here that faith in Him results in the forgiveness of sins and salvation.
   Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  He was the perfect substitute for the consequences of wrongdoings, which is spiritual death in hell.  If you believe in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, and you will have eternal life in heaven.
Hunter Irvine