From: "Beverly French" <frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us>
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Subject: Sunday Blessings
Date: Sunday, April 05, 1998 8:21 AM

Today many churches will be celebrating Palm Sunday, the beginning of the
week before Easter.  In that time from the truimphal entrance of Jesus into
Jerusalm until His death on the cross there are about 20 Old Testament
prophecies (p) with New Testament fulfillments (f).  I would like to list a
few here.  As always I encourage you read them in context and ponder the
Scriptures before the Lord and see how they open up to you. 

Jesus triumphal entry:
(p)"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem;
    Behold, your king is coming to you;
    He is just and endowed with salvation,
    Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey."  Zechariah 9:9

(f)A great mulititude, "Took branches of the palm trees, and went out to   
    meet Him, and began to cry out, 'Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes     
     in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.'  And Jesus, finding
a
   young donkey, sat on it; as it is written".  John 12:13-14

Jesus betrayed by a friend:
(p)"Even my close friend, in whom I trusted,
     Who ate my bread,
     Has lifted up his heel against me."  Psalm 41:9

(f)"And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the
    chief priests, in order to betray Him to them."  Mark 14:10

False witnesses accuse Jesus:
(p)"Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries;
     For false witnesses have risen against me,
     And such as breathe out violence."  Psalm 27:12

(f)"Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false
    testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death;
    and they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came 
    forward.  But later on two came forward, and said 'This man stated, 
    "I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three
days."
    Matthew 26:59-61

[Remember that according to Jewish law there had to be no less than 
two witnesses:    
"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any
iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three
witnesses a matter shall be confirmed."  Deuteronomy 19:15]

Jesus was smitten and spat upon:
(p)"I gave My back to those who strike Me,
     And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
     I did not cover my face from humiliation and spitting."  Isaiah 50:6

(f)"And some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat 
    Him with their fists, and to say to Him, 'Prophesy!"  And the officers 
       received Him with slaps in his face."  Mark 14:65

Jesus suffered vicariously for us:
(p)"Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
     And our sorrows He carried;
     Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
     Smitten of God, and afflicted.
     But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
     He was crushed for our iniquities;
     The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, 
     And by His scourging we are healed."  Isaiah 53:4-5

(f)"And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were    
demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed
    all who were ill in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the 
    prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 'He Himself took our infiermities
and             carried away our diseases.'"  Matthew 8:16-17

Jesus prays for His enemies:
(p)"In return for my love they act as my accusers;
     But I am in prayer."  Psalm 109:4

(f)"But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know
    what they are doing.'"  Luke 23:34a

Read the account of Jesus death in the Gospels.  All these things took
place because "God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." 
John 3:16.  We were chosen to be His before the foundation of the world, to
be the recipients of this grace (unmerited favor); this awesome gift of 
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  So in awesome reverence let's worship Him
this day from the depth or our being for He deserves all praise, all honor
and all glory.  Amen.