WHO IS IN CONTROL HERE?

LUKE 22
Lesson #56
WHO IS IN CONTROL HERE?

Memory Verse: Joh 10:17
In this final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry we continue to see prophecies being fulfilled. With that thought every detail is important to examine so as not to miss something important!
In our previous lesson we learned that Jesus prophetically predicted many future events. In this lesson we see Jesus fulfill many other previously predicted events.
Read Luk 22:1-6
- God’s timing: (1)
  - Verse 1 tells us that it is important to know the timing of these final events based on the Jewish calendar. Why?
  - God gave the Jews the sacred calendar in the book of Leviticus (Lev 23). This calendar established God’s timing for the events of this last week.
  - The Feast Days on the Sacred Calendar
    - There are seven Biblical feasts specifically directed by God in Lev 23. Notice that there are seven which indicate that this is God’s fulfillment of prophetic time. (Number 7 is God’s complete number).
      - =1= The Feast of Passover (Pesach)
      - =2= The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag Hamatzot)
      - =3= The Feast of First Fruits (Yom HaBikkurim)
      - =4= The Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost (Shavnot)
      - =5= The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana)
      - =6= The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
      - =7= The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Succoth)
    - The first three feasts were prophetically fulfilled in this last week of Christ’s first coming and represent the timing of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
      - The first three feasts occurred on 3 consecutive days and these 3 feast days eventually came to be called Passover.
      - The feast of Passover gives us the timing of the killing of the Passover lamb which corresponds to the very hour of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God.
      - The feast of Unleavened Bread gives us the timing of the burial of Jesus, the perfect Son of God without sin.
      - The feast of Firstfruits gives us the timing of the resurrection as Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead never to die again.
    - The fourth feast was fulfilled 50 days later on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit gave birth to the church.
    - The last three feasts will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ.
- The religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus at the same time they were anticipating killing the Passover lamb tied to the altar in the temple. (2)
- Satan and Judas: (3)
  - It is important to notice that Judas betrayal also fulfills prophecy.
  - Read Psa 41:9
  - Read Psa 55:12-14
    - The confusion that usually occurs with Judas is this: If it was prophesied that Judas would betray Jesus, then Judas did not have a choice?
    - All individuals have a choice because God gave man free will. God never violates man’s free will. If it had not been Judas, it would have been someone else.
    - Jesus knew from the beginning that the one disciple that would betray him would be Judas. As the Son of God, Jesus knew the prophecies and the future events that would bring that prophecy into reality.
  - Satan had been God’s enemy from Genesis 3.
    - Read Gen 3:15
      - This is the first prophecy about the crucifixion.
      - It shows us God’s entire plan of human history. All the rest of the Bible and all the rest of history is the working out of this one verse.
    - The meaning of Gen 3:15
      - God is speaking to Satan, the spiritual being.
      - God curses Satan in regards to his nature.

“I will put enmity between thee and the woman”

“enmity” means = hostility, hatred, animosity.

God will put hostility between Satan and the woman.

The woman represents Israel, the Jews. (Isa 26:17 Isa 54:6-8 Jer 6:2 )

The Old Testament frequently speaks about Israel as a woman in the travail of childbirth, suffering persecution and bringing forth the Messiah. (Mic 4:10 Rev 12:1-5)

This explains why the Jews have been persecuted as a people down through history and will continue to be so persecuted until Christ’s second coming.

“(enmity) between thy seed and her seed”

Seed is singular in each case referring to one individual in each case.

The seed of Satan is the Antichrist, a man, who will do the will of Satan persecuting the Jews and Christians during a 7 year tribulation period yet to come upon the earth.

The seed of the woman is Jesus Christ, who does the will of God.

“her seed”

Usually we refer to seed as coming from men not women.

Why does God use, “the seed of the woman”?

This is a reference to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was not born by the seed of man (Joseph) but by the Holy Spirit.

To make sure we would look for a messiah without sin passed through the seed of man, he used the phrase, “seed of the woman.”

While seed is singular, descendants work through time from one individual to the next.

We, therefore, have the conflict between non-believing people who fulfill Satan’s desires and believing people who fulfill God’s desires.

In other words, the world will be filled with only two kinds of people, those who believe in God and his promised Messiah, and those who do not believe in God and follow Satan.

Through all history we see this conflict between God and Satan, between God’s people and Satan’s people.

“he (Christ) shall bruise thy (Satan) head”

“head” refers to a position of authority.

On the cross, through death and resurrection, Jesus gained authority over Satan by becoming sin for us and paying the penalty for sin (death).

He redeemed us from the curse in Gen 3.

“thou (Satan) shall bruise his (Christ) heel”

The word, heel, is singular.

In the act of crucifixion, the position of the feet on the cross is significant. One foot is nailed on top of the other. One heel is badly bruised every time the crucified person takes a breath. To take a breath, he must push himself upward by pushing this foot against the cross.

This phrase is a reference to the crucifixion.

- - Thirty pieces of silver. (5)
    - While Luke does not tell us the actual amount, other gospels do. (Mat 27:3,6-10)
    - The actual amount is also the fulfillment of prophecy.
      - Read Zec 11:12-13
      - Zechariah not only tells us the exact amount of silver but also that it was later used to buy the burial place for Judas in the Potter’s field.

The Potter’s field was next to the garbage dump (Gahenna) just outside the city gates of Jerusalem. It was the place where the bodies of the poor were dumped who could not afford a burial tomb.

The place of Judas’ remains is also prophetic. This place was called “Field of Blood” (Akeldama). (Act 1:19)

- - Notice the prophetic parallel: Fulfilled prophecies at the first coming parallel the prophecies of the second coming.
    - Judas is indwelt by Satan which means that Judas is Satan’s man with authority on the scene doing the will and work of Satan, and inadvertently fulfilling God’s prophecies.
    - The Antichrist will be indwelt by Satan fulfilling Satan’s will and work at the time of the second coming of Christ.
  - Satan behind the scene uses Judas to give the religious leaders the means to kill Jesus through the betrayal
    - Who is in control?
      - The religious leaders thought they were in control of the situation.
      - Judas thought he was in control of the situation.
      - Satan knew he was in control of Judas and the religious leaders, but that was all the control he had.
      - God, the Father, is in control of everything because He put it all in prophecy long before this event.
      - Jesus is in control because He is doing the will of God, the Father.
    - Read Joh 10:17-18 clearly tells us who is in control.
Application:
- Read Isa 53:3, 10
- Read Rev 13:8
- Considering all the fulfilled prophecies and who was in control, we can now understand how the Holy Spirit that gave us the inspired Word of God could say in Rev 13: 8 that Jesus Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. God had it all under His control and in His plan from the very beginning.
- What does that tell you about your life?

Homework
Luke 22:7-30

Application of Luk 22:1-6
- When you consider all the prophecies and how the details were fulfilled, what does that tell you about:
  - …God’s control over your personal life events?
  - …God’s care over the tiny details of your life?
  - …God’s knowledge of what you are going through at any point in time?
  - …God’s plan for your life?
Preparation for Luk 22:7-30
- Read Luk 22:7-30
  - What did Jesus mean in verse 18?
Memory Verse: 1Cor 11:26