Good morning, and a most blessed Thursday morning to you.

Would you please open your Bibles to Luke 24:44.

Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

These Lord Jesus spoke these words after the resurrection and before the ascension.  And they speak to the reliability of God's Word.  Again, Jesus said, “Everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

Here’s a short list of just some examples of this:

• The two natures of Christ; that he is truly God and truly human: Genesis Chapter 3 and Psalm 2.

• That the Messiah would be the descendant of Abraham: Genesis Chapter 12.

• That he would come from the family of Jesse: Isaiah 11.

• That a special messenger would prepare his way: Isaiah 40.

• That he would be born in Bethlehem: Micah 5.

• That he would do miracles: Isaiah 35.

• That he would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey: Zechariah 9.

• That a close friend would betray him: Psalm 41.

• That they would beat him, mock him, and spit on him: Isaiah chapter 50.

• That he would suffer for us: Isaiah 53.

• That they would pierce his hands and feet: Psalm 22.

• That his bones would remain unbroken. Psalm 34.

• That he would not decay in a tomb: Psalm 16.

• That he would rise from the dead: Isaiah 53.

These are just some examples of the reliability of the Word of God.

I think of a person by the name of Voltaire. Voltaire was a French philosopher, and he was also an atheist. He wrote a number of tracks that just derided the Bible.  In 1776 he said this: “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.”  And then in 1778, he said, “It took twelve men to start Christianity, one will destroy it.”  That was the year that he died.  Interestingly, one hundred years later, his former home was being used as a distribution point of Bibles throughout Europe. 

We have God's Word… reliable!  We can trust God and His promises.  And yet our sin can be very evident.  Challenges come, and we can turn away from the Lord.  Problems come, and we can think that God isn't big enough to handle them. Yet God, in His grace, keeps pulling us back to His Word, where we hear the sweet gospel; that through the cross our sins have been forgiven. The tomb is empty. The sacrifice accepted. God's Word of forgiveness to us, and God's assurance to us that every one of his promises is true.  

Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

Nothing Is more sure than the Word of God.

Let’s pray.  Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this time in your Word.  Your Word is truth.  We praise you, oh Lord, for the reliability of Holy Scripture.  And we pray that each and every day we will live based upon the reliability of your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God bless you this week.  Encourage someone!

Pastor Eibel