The Passion of The Christ

Finger Print Evidence

Grace Emmanuel Church

Pastor Sam Chess

Introduction: Last week we spent some time digging through the evidence for the historical record. If the four Gospels…Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John aren’t reliable how do we know this whole Passion story isn’t just something somebody made up. We approached the subject like we were in a courtroom and we applied all kinds of truth finding techniques to get at the truth. ( I have here an edited hard copy of that sermon with the quotes on bold print that you are free to take after the service) I will be handing out even more supporting quotes on Wednesday evening with another complete handout on what we are getting ready to explore here this morning)

I’m sure you picked up my frustration last week with the “scholars” that you often see in the media spouting their “learning.” In seminary I was required to spend hours and hours reading that kind of nonsense and you develop a healthy helping of disbelief that people would give their whole lives to proving that no one ever really came to this earth to save mankind from their sins.

You may have heard of a group study called the Jesus Seminar which is widely referred to by the media as scholarly study. A pre-selected group of liberal New Testament Scholars met to determine which parts of the New Testament account were reliable. They sat around a table with colored beads. A moderator read the Gospel accounts. If they thought Jesus really said something they put a red bead in the middle of the table. A pink bead meant he probably said it, A gray bead meant he didn’t say it, but it came from his ideas, and a black bead meant he absolutely didn’t utter the words at all. They finally concluded that Jesus didn’t say 82% of what they Gospels say he said. Of the remaining 18% only 2% could be absolutely certain to have come out of his mouth. All that scholarly “science” came out of sitting around a conference table with a Diet Coke (or something) playing with colored beads. They published their findings and have been quoted widely as “expert proof” on the unreliability of the Gospel accounts. When I start watching this stuff on TV I just go nuts because I know what kinds of unscientific methods are used to try to disprove Scripture; yet those same people consider anyone who actually believes the “fairy tales” found in the Bible to be ignorant and unlearned!

As we have already seen last week; there are mountains of real evidence that strongly support the events of the gospels just as they are listed in the Gospels. (we only scratched the surface) Secular history supports the Biblical account, (we just scratched that surface)

But if you really want science to prove that this historical figure, named Jesus, was something more than just a nice man like the Gospels claim, we actually have the fingerprint evidence to prove it!

Let’s go back to>>>>

III. Submitting the Evidence to CSI, Jerusalem

A) Corroborating Evidence- to make more certain, to confirm…

B) Scientific Evidence

1) Archeology proves the Gospels

2) Fingerprint Evidence

This has become a big deal in forensic science. When a crime has been committed they immediately tape of the area so the evidence won’t be contaminated. Several types of evidence will quickly narrow the field of who they will be looking for. One type of evidence can immediately narrow the field to just one person…. If they find a fingerprint at the scene of the crime and they can locate the only person on earth who exactly matches that print they can, with certainty, place that person at the scene of that crime.

We don’t actually have the pattern of ridges and swirls on Jesus finger, but do we have something available that is so individualized to Jesus of Nazareth that if he matches the Data base he can be proven to be who we are looking for________ Yes!_________

God in His truly, scientific mind made sure to set up a check and balance system that would be able to provide un-refutable scientific evidence that would lead anyone who honestly wants to find the truth directly to one person, and only one person.

God starts out in Genesis 3:15 promising Eve that He is going to sent someone who will crush satans head and bring salvation from sin to Eve’s offspring. Then systematically, God began to build the puzzle box that would give a clear picture of what the final package would contain. He would come through one of Noah’s sons, later, through Abraham, he would descend from King David’s line. Each time another prophecy was added the chances of any one meeting all the requirements got slimmer and slimmer.

Over a four thousand year period, God continued to add to the list, using only widely accepted Prophets of their time, but understand something…..these guys lived at totally different times separated by hundreds of years, in totally different places separated by thousands of miles, most didn’t know each other or even about each other. I’m sure, by the time the end of the Old Testament, those scholars were scratching their head on how any one could possibly meet even a fraction of the prophesies, let alone all of them.

They begin to get so absurdly specific like what town he would be born in, the fact that his mother would be a virgin when he was conceived, that he would be rejected by his people, sold for thirty pieces of silver, his hands and feet would be pierced but none of his bones would be broken. He would be hung on a tree but would rise from the dead bringing salvation to all mankind.

These prophesies formed the data base collected, in writing, for 1500 years before Jesus arrival that would provide a specific fingerprint that he would have to match to be the one sent from God. If he missed on any point…he would be disqualified.

Many of you have seen this study but it’s worth repeating. A man named Stoner figured what the mathematical probability would be of anyone ever being born into this world that would fit the main 8 prophesies of the coming Messiah. He concluded that the probability would be

1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 that eight prophesies could be fulfilled in one man!

You may have heard his illustration of covering the whole state of Texas two feet deep in silver dollars….putting an x on one of them, stirring them all up, blindfolding a person and inviting them with one try to find that one silver dollar.

That’s the probability that just eight of the prophesies would be true in one man.

The top 48 provide statistics beyond our comprehension

Jesus of Nazareth meets the criteria of every single one of the predictions providing an exact fingerprint match that no one else in the universe has ever imitated!

1) Coincidence Argument?

1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000

2) Altered Gospel Argument?

We looked at all that last week. Without the gospels ever being written we would have enough evidence from secular historians to prove at least the big eight!

3) The intentional fulfillment argument?

Jesus set out in his live to live in such a way as to prove himself to be the one the profits spoke of….

a) He intentionally set up his lineage?

b) He intentionally was born of a virgin?

c) He intentionally was born in Bethlehem?

d) He intentionally cause Judas to sell him for 30 pieces of silver?

e) He intentionally cause his bones not to be broken?

f) He intentionally cause the soldier to cast lots for his clothes?

g) He intentionally arranged for his own resurrection?

(Luke 24:44) He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." (NIV)

C) The Identity Evidence

The movie, the Last Temptation of Christ paints Jesus as kind of bumbling around through life trying to figure out just who he is. That’s not a terribly unusual picture, even in Evangelical Christianity…

… that Jesus had a brief glimpse into himself at age twelve when he told his mother he had to be about his Father’s business; then he proceeded to make furniture for the next 18 years and finally set out to see if he really was the Messiah. He fumbled through three years of ministry slowly building confidence in himself as God’s Sent One, always hesitant to admit who he was, perhaps for fear that he was wrong about himself, and finally when Pilate questions him at the trial, all doubts are swept aside and he declares himself, “sent from God” and you know the rest of the story.

I don’t know what happened in my training, early on, but I remember as a young Pastor teaching people that Jesus was very hesitant to reveal his true identity.

Finally he revealed himself to his disciples but not to the masses around him….he left them guessing who he might be…and he certainly didn’t reveal his hand to the religious leaders until the very end…… That’s not even close to true…..

1) From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus systematically set out to establish that he was not just another Jewish teacher with a few new ideas. He starts out doing miracles like no one had ever seen before.

People of the first century were used to people claiming to have unusual powers but they remembered the real miracles of the Old Testament, the ones that only God could do. From the first miracle, this One was different. That’s why thousands followed him all over the countryside. Turning water to wine at a small village party became turning a small lunch into food for 20,000, Healing a sick person became the healing of whole towns of all their diseases. Healing progresses to raising the dead back to live. Physical healings progressed to spiritual healings.

People who had been possessed by demons are now set free…Jesus is now taking on the forces of evil itself…a place reserved for God alone.

Critics say that Jesus was a great illusionist, a person, perhaps mentally unbalanced himself who had unusual abilities to hypnotize whole crowds of people. His first miracle was secretly done, the recipient had no chance to be hypnotized before he tasted the new wine. And does anyone honestly believe 5000 men and 15,000 men and women were tricked into thinking they ate a huge meal when in fact they were still famished from hunger.

It takes far more faith to believe the liberal critics view of Scripture than to simply believe what the Bible says!

Jesus himself states that his miracles came with a purpose….

(Matthew 12:24-28) But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?… …But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (NIV)

2) Phrases:

Jesus would repeatedly start his talks out with phrases like Verily, Verily…

That’s the Greek word Amen. In Jewish law what somebody said was never established until in was testified to by two or three witnesses. What Jesus is saying is, I’m giving you truth straight from God and it doesn’t matter who does or does not witness to it.

In a society where no one would refer to God’s name for fear of blaspheming it, and would never refer directly to God for fear of offending him…Jesus chose to refer to him as his Abba….Dearest Daddy.

It’s easy for us to miss the significance of these things but, trust me, the Jewish people weren’t missing it for a moment.

Most significantly was the pet phrase Jesus used when referring to himself. He loved to call himself, the Son of Man. Ignorant liberal theologians have actually pointed to this phrase as Jesus attempts to let everyone know he was really just a simple man that was being over-estimated by the masses.

(Daniel 7:13-15) "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. (NIV)

Let me just give you a smattering of his statements so you can see how in you face this really was:

(Matthew 9:6) But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." (NIV)

(Luke 19:10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (NIV)

(Matthew 20:18) "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death (NIV)

(Matthew 12:40) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (NIV)

(Matthew 17:9) As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." (NIV)

(Matthew 13:41) The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (NIV)

(Matthew 24:29-30) "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (NIV)

(Matthew 25:31) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. (NIV)

See there, just the little ole son of man talking about his humanity……..

This is so often hidden and the translators so often don’t do it justice….that’s the “to be” phrase found liberally in the New Testament.

We know the Old Testament name of God was YAHWEH which means in Hebrew: I AM…who I am…I will be who I will be.

So often in the New Testament when Jesus uses that phrase referring to himself it’s meaning gets hidden in the text.

(John 14:6) Jesus answered, "I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV)

When the soldier came looking for Jesus in the garden and ask if he was who they were looking for…His response? I AM!

When Pilate asked if he were the King of the Jews? I AM!

(John 8:54-59) Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (NIV)

Conclusion:

Down the road in the Savannahs hospital are several people who are mentally ill who are suffering from delusions of grandeur. Some even believe they are God…In fact many with that kind of an illness believe themselves to be God incarnate. If Jesus wasn’t really something more than a humble man then he was at least one fry short of a happy meal.

CS Lewis famous words on the subject: (not everyone has caught on to this obvious truth)

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing people often say about him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.” That is one thing we must not say. A man who is merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg- or he would be the devil of Hell. Either this man was and is the Son of God; or else he is a madman …or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him for a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us…He did not intend to!

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