The concept of fulfillment themes in Scripture, particularly focusing on the transition from the Old Testament era to the present age through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It highlights John the Baptist's unique role as a prophet who witnessed and announced the Messiah, emphasizing his faithfulness and humility. The message contrasts John's greatness with the even greater privilege of those in the kingdom of heaven, who have direct access to the full revelation of Christ's redemptive work, including his sufferings and glory, which were only prophesied by Old Testament saints. This present age, though characterized as evil and influenced by Satan, offers believers the blessings of the age to come, enabling them to live as strangers and pilgrims awaiting Christ's return.
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good to look over the audience and see a few pianists back there tonight. And I preached at a menu of service when this is summer I'll play the piano. And I almost have forgotten about that. But these ladies are very faithful, and I thank God for their presence in the meetings. while those who play regularly aren't with us tonight, I thank God for those who would have probably played if they were asked.
I think there's more than Mrs. Somerell here who can play. Paul has a mother-in-law, and she plays, and I know another lady or two that might not want to make it known that they play. Yes, Mrs. Peekery plays the piano. She wanted to play one time if I would sing when I was at their home. And I discouraged her from playing, and I wouldn't do that again. Okay. We're in the Gospel by Matthew tonight, and we're in the eleventh chapter. A portion that our brother David Morris dealt with when he was with us, and he spoke on the subject of the men there on the subject of...
Spiritual discouragement. But I'm not going to touch on the subject of spiritual discouragement. I'm going to try to answer some questions that are often raised over this passage. In our previous studies on Sunday night, we have been looking at the subject of God's purpose being fulfilled. The fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures, and especially the seed part of the Bible, Genesis chapter three, verse fifteen. where God spoke to Satan, and he said, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, but thou shalt bruise his heel. Speaking of Calvary's cross and the defeat of Satan there.
And of course, we were looking at redemptive history as it unfolded in the Old Testament, and as its main focus is the person of Christ and his work. Now, tonight we want to begin a series on fulfillment themes, themes in the Word of God that are fulfilled. And to understand this, we want to deal especially tonight with an understanding of the term that our Lord used concerning this age and the age to come, and also the expression, the last days. As found in Hebrews chapter one, verses one and two.
So we begin, look at verse two of Matthew chapter eleven. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him, I thought he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again these things, which ye do hear and see. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf ear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them. And partially see whosoever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to stand for the multitudes concerning John.
What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with a wind. And there is an expression that our Lord is paying homage to John. He is honoring John. And John doesn't hear it, but he's honoring him. A reed shaken with a wind is a compromiser. John the Baptist was not a compromiser. He said to King Herod, it's wrong for you to have your brother's wife. Period. And of course, for that reason, he was put in prison. John was not a compromiser. He didn't try to make excuses. For King Herod, he told it like it was.
He was not a compromiser. But then he said something else. But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold they that wear soft clothing are in king's houses. John the Baptist was not a celebrity either. You see, a celebrity doesn't say you're an adulterer to the king. And that's what he did. You see, he wouldn't do that. He wasn't a celebrity. And we have so many celebrities today. And we have a lot of compromise today. And so we move on. And he said to them, But what went ye out for to see?
A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face. We shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violence take it by force, for all the prophets prophesied until John. And if ye will hear it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
He's have ears to hear, but let him hear. May the Lord bless the reading of his words. Let's pray together. Father, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the statements of the Savior that can be confirmed even to us, as they are in Hebrews six, when it says the Lord is not unrighteous to forget. your work of faith and labor of love, which you have shown for his name, in that ye have ministered and do minister. And therefore, our Father, we thank you for this, what was stated concerning John the Baptist.
And we pray our God that as we examine redemptive history tonight and the fulfillment of the statements of the Word of God, may our hearts rejoice together. as what is ours in Christ, and may we apply these truths to our own hearts for Jesus' sake. Amen. The age of salvation history stands above the previous age, because it is a witness to the realization of that which the previous age pointed forward to. It is the realization of all the hopes of the previous age.
Our word said of John the Baptist in the portion that we read, Of those born a woman there hath not risen a greater than John. Now why did he say it, and what did it mean? And I believe that if we can understand the thrust of our Lord's statement here, I believe that we can rejoice together afresh. in the redemptive history that is related to us in the New Testament. I believe, number one, it's because John the Baptist actually witnessed and introduced what the others only prophesied.
All the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied in the coming of Christ. But John was the last of the prophets. Or a text very definitely says, the prophets prophesied until John. And John had the privilege of witnessing and introducing the one who is the focal point of the whole of the Old Testament. But I believe that there are four things also beyond that that give us an insight into what our Lord meant when he said, of those born of women there have not risen a greater than John Baptist. I believe the first thing is introduced by our Lord himself.
When he said that statement in verse nine, or yes, in verse nine, he says, What went ye out for to see a prophet? Ye sent to you. He's more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written. There's something specifically written about John the Baptist, where he fulfills the Old Testament scriptures. And it's Malachi chapter three. And our Lord definitely says so. And I believe that's the first reason. Our Lord gave it. And he adds that, verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.
For John the Baptist was not only a prophet, but his arrival on the scene of history had been prophesied in itself. Malachi chapter three. John, and there's a second reason. And John had clearly announced the arrival of the Messiah. He directed the people's attention to him. He is the one who said, Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. John chapter one in verse twenty nine. So John had a unique ministry. But I believe it's the third reason why our Lord said that among them that are born of women there have not arisen or greater than John.
It is that John emphasized the necessity for repentance. The Greek word is metaneo, a change of mind and attitude toward God, toward sin, and toward self. And he's the one who cried, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, for the axes laid to the root of the tree. God is not interested in dropping off a few top branches. He's going to deal with it at its foundation, the root of the tree. A lot of us are interested in just taking care of the top branches that can't be seen. Our God says he calls for repentance at the very root of the matter.
The axe is laid to the root of the tree. So John emphasized the need for repentance as the only way for the sinner to enter the kingdom of the Messiah. And you have that in Matthew chapter three and verse two. You also have it in Luke's gospel. And there's a fourth reason. And this fourth reason is very important because it links the ministry of our Lord and what he told his own disciples to that of John. You see, it is the duty of a herald. And a herald is one who goes before. John the Baptist was a forerunner of Christ.
It is the duty of the herald to receive into the background when the one who was whom he was introducing has fully arrived on the scene. And when our Lord arrived on the scene, and he's written in the last verses of the third chapter of John, John the Baptist said, when he was told that all people are flowing to Christ, he said, He must increase, but I decrease. So it's remarkable how they John resisted the temptation to call attention to himself. And Jesus described the true nature of greatness, and his description of the true nature of greatness is one of humility, having a servant attitude.
So our Lord said of John the Baptist, Among them that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. but then he went on to say something else and that is where we want to really look tonight he said notwithstanding in verse eleven that we read he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he what did he mean here are you in the kingdom of heaven maybe you consider yourself very small in the kingdom of heaven and John the Baptist way up there our Lord said, He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
Now what does our Lord mean in a statement like that? I believe it can be a real comfort to our hearts when we grasp this truth in relation to redemptive history. This truth I believe must be understood in the light of the thirteenth chapter of Matthew and verses sixteen and seventeen. And I invite you to turn over a few pages in your Bible to Matthew thirteen and verses sixteen and seventeen. And verses sixteen and seventeen stand in contrast in Matthew thirteen to verses fourteen and before where our Lord uses the prophecy of Isaiah and he applies it.
In that passage, our Lord is answering the question, why are you speaking in parables? And he's saying that the people's heart is waxed gross or hardened. Their heart is hardened. And he's speaking in parables that seeing they see not and hearing they hear not. And as we read in verse fifteen, for this people's heart is waxed gross. and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Now in contrast to that, we have the next two verses.
He says, But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. So before us tonight we have the expression, He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. And this verse must be, or that expression of our Lord must be explained, I believe, in the light of these verses here.
Blessed are your eyes, because they see. And you and I, whose eyes have been opened by the Spirit of God, in order that we could see ourselves as sinners and run to the refuge that is before us, even our Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. Our eyes have been opened. Blessed are your eyes. They see. Your ears, as our brother prayed tonight. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Your ears have been opened, and you have heard. But the one least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John, in the sense that he was more highly privileged than John.
Where was John, the Baptist? when our Lord spoke. He was in prison. And it's interesting what our Lord was doing when the two disciples came who were sent by John. He was healing the sick. He was giving sight to the blind. He was healing the deaf. He was doing all these things that the boys and girls are going to be taught about in vacation Bible school. On the subject of miracles. You see. And John the Baptist was in prison. What about it? He didn't hear. He didn't see.
For John was in prison. That doesn't mean he was lost. By the way. That means he was saved. But he didn't have the privilege. At that particular time. Because he was not in close touch. With our Lord Jesus. In other words. John was not an immediate participant. And he. And furthermore, he didn't see two of the greatest events that we talk about. He wasn't around anymore to behold Calvary. And he wasn't around anymore to behold Pentecost. And these are great events in redemptive history that touch every one of us in the kingdom of God.
Because apart from the work of Christ at Calvary, no one enters the kingdom of God. For that is the preliminary work for the new birth and the giving of the Holy Spirit who applies in the new birth the redemptive work of Christ to the believer. Now when we speak of redemptive history, we are not speaking of anything outside of real history. And when we talk of real history, we're talking about events that have taken place on planet Earth. And the redemptive history of the Word of God took place in time, in sense, somewhere on planet Earth.
And we're really talking about real history and history whose events are the fulfillment of the Word of God in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Word of God, it speaks specifically of two ages, the present age and the age to come, or the promise and the fulfillment. When we talk about this present age in which we live, This present age is everywhere described in the Word of God as evil. Galatians chapter one, verse four, says that Christ gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world.
That word world could be translated present evil age. And in some translations it is. Why is it an evil age? It is an evil age because it is an age of sin. Furthermore, it is an evil age because the society of men is under the control of Satan, and the society of men is in rebellion against God. Therefore, this present age is an age of evil, and the unregenerous man is described in the Word of God.
as the children of this age. And I want you to turn to that passage over in Luke chapter sixteen. Many times this passage is misquoted. And it's often misquoted by the world who is looking for an answer. Luke chapter sixteen and verse eight. And this is in the parable of the unjust steward. one of the more difficult of the parables in the Word of God. But in verse eight, we read this, and the word commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely.
And he has a word for or because. That is a preposition. And that preposition is an explanation of why. For the children of this age are in their generation wiser than the children of light. Many times the ungodly show wisdom, where the people of God fail to show wisdom. The children of this age, this present world, is a world of the unregenerate, and they are thus dubbed in the Word of God, the children of this age.
Now, loving this age is a mark of godlessness. Loving this age. And we have that in First Timothy chapter four, verse ten. Excuse me. Second Timothy chapter four, verse ten. Where the apostle Paul says, Demas hath forsaken me. Having loved this present age. And the loving of this age. is a mark of godlessness. Now, in contrast in the Word of God, to this age is the age to come.
It's a marked contrast, and the age to come is called, could be called, the time of the Messiah. Matthew chapter twenty-four and verse three. The time of the Messiah, Matthew twenty-four, verse three, and as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age? So you see, the time of the Messiah, and the time of the Messiah is a time when God will come in glorious power and right all that is wrong.
Our Lord in Matthew twelve and verse thirty-two, speaking of the unpardonable sin, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, attributing the work of Christ to Satan. It is called the unpardonable sin. And in Matthew twelve, verse thirty-two, he reminds us that that sin is not forgiven in this age or in the age to come. Now, throughout the Old Testament, it focused on what is known as the age to come. And in the Old Testament, it is focused in such a way that the time of the Messiah would be a time of judgment, a time of resurrection.
Isaiah chapter twenty-six and Daniel chapter twelve would be a time of resurrection. And more than that, it would be a time of righteousness when the righteousness of God would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. But when we come to the New Testament, the New Testament writers speaking of fulfillment, their message is that in Christ, that age has been brought forward to this age. And if we miss that in the New Testament, we're missing a lot.
Let me say that again. The New Testament writers bring a focus upon the work of Christ in such a way that that age has been brought forward into this age. In other words, the future is now. That doesn't mean there isn't a future, by the way. But the blessings of the future are now. Christ has fulfilled all the longings and the hopes of the Old Testament saints. And He fulfills them all for us. But it's before us. What are our privileges and what are our responsibilities?
We talk a lot about fulfillment, the fulfillment of the Word of God. What are our responsibilities? And what are our privileges in this age of grace? This age where the future is now. Well, first of all, how does the Bible characterize this age? First, we notice that this is an evil age. Galatians one, verse four. Christ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age. In other words, this is an age that is altogether incompatible with true discipleship.
If you want to be a disciple of the Lord, the age in which you live is not compatible to us. As we sing it at him, I think it's channels only. Blessed Master, I think it's about the fourth stanza where it says, This world is not a friend to grace. And how true that is. This world is not a friend to grace. And there's a reason for it. The God of this age is Satan. According to Second Corinthians chapter four, verse four, the God of this world has blinded the minds of them that they lead not, lest the light of glorious gospel should shine in unto them.
for the more to live in keeping with age and to be with this age and to be caught up with the cares of this age as a result. And I want you to turn to the result. And it's very humbling and it's disturbing. I want you to turn to Matthew chapter thirteen in verse twenty-two. In Matthew chapter thirteen and verse twenty-two, we made this. And it's our Lord's explanation of the parable of the soil, also known as the parable of the soar.
But all the seed was good, it was the soil into which it fell. And in verse twenty-two he said, He also that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word. And the care of this world, or this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. In other words, the cares of this age can choke the gospel, the good seed of the gospel, in the soil into which it falls. Now that's solemn testimony of the Lord.
And it should be taken to heart. You see, the world we live in is a world full of sin. And that makes our hope a bright one. We who have been called by God's grace, we're looking forward to something. We're looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. We're in God's righteousness. And that's what the disciples asked our word about in Matthew chapter twenty-four. When shall these things be? What is the sign of your coming? And at the end of the age, our hope is bright. You see, Christ has brought that age forward into this age.
And Galatians chapter one in verse four says that he has delivered us from something, from this present evil age. Do we know something about that deliverance? That's a question we should ask ourselves. We should know something about that deliverance. That is one of the great privileges of the child of God, to be delivered from this present evil age. You see, through Christ's redemption work at Calvary, we already enjoy the freedom of the age to come now in this present age.
This wicked age does not hold us down. As Adam Guyon, that woman who was in prison, and she was in prison for her testimony for Christ. And she said, in a great poetic form, which I can't quote, she talked about the walls that were surrounding her that kept her in prison. but her spirit was soaring into the very presence of God and rejoicing in what is really hers in Christ Jesus our Lord. And I believe that that is what is meant in Revelation chapter twelve, where we read that they overcame him, Satan, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Now I want you to turn to first Corinthians chapter ten. First Corinthians chapter ten. And for sake of time, I'm not going to read this whole chapter, but let me just say one or two things about it. In first Corinthians ten, he's directing our attention to Israel after they were redeemed by the Lord from Egyptian bondage. And what happened there? And you have that in the first number of verses. So when we get to verse eleven, he says, Now all these things happened unto them, for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the age are come.
And that expression, the ends of the age are come. Notice the end has come. Another translation can put it like this. The ends of the ages have come upon us. In other words, we are the people who are not experiencing all that was longed for throughout the previous ages. Imagine, you and I have the joy now of experiencing what John the Baptist never experienced. You and I have the joy now of experiencing what Moses never experienced.
All these blessings are ours upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Now that takes us to the book of Hebrews, chapter one, verses one and two, where we read God who at sundry times and in divers manners at various places and at various times and in various ways has spoken unto us by the prophets, have in these last days spoken unto us in His Son." Notice the expression there, the last days. Often you'll hear people make the expression, we're living in the last days, aren't we? Well, I know what they mean, but the last days began with the days of the Messiah.
Paul told them that he has in these last days spoken unto us in his son. And the last days have reference to the days of the Messiah when he came and he purged our sins by the shedding of his own blood. We are part of the last days. These things happen unto them as examples and upon whom the end. of the age it comes. Go over to the little book of Jude right before the Revelation, the second last book of the New Testament, and verse, I think it's eighteen, Jude chapter one, and verse eighteen, where we read, Now, how that, and he's speaking in verse seventeen, but beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how they told you that there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly life.
And that time was marked as the last time. But to me, in particular, First Peter, chapter one, verses ten to twelve are very important. First Peter one. verses ten through twelve, where we read this, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.
Did we find that the Old Testament writings contain two things, basically, the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow? But notice verse twelve. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you. by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the angels desire to look into. In other words, I want you to notice the expression unto us.
We are the us. And notice the word now. But unto us they administer the things which are now reported. We're the recipients of that blessing. And then we have the word which was unto you through the gospel. Now, the apostle John, as he writes to the family of God, in first John chapter two and verse eighteen, he says, little children, it is the last hour. You talk about the last days.
The Apostle John in First John chapter two and verse eighteen takes it a step further. He says, Little children, it is the last hour, as ye have heard, that Antichrist shall come, and even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. How do we apply truth like this? Number one, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. And in what way is it greater? Are we greater?
It is because we are the recipient of the full revelation of God revealed in the Word of God. There is nothing more to be given to the Church of Jesus Christ than what we have in the Scriptures. And these things, the sufferings of Christ, the glory that you follow, is written for us to lay hold of and to enable us to be delivered from this present evil age and live on planet Earth as strangers and pilgrims.
Now, in Philippians chapter three, verse twenty and twenty one, we read, Our citizenship is in heaven. From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus. What are we, according to that? According to that verse, we are a colony of heaven on earth. and we don't belong here. We are a colony of heaven upon earth, and we are living upon the dictates of this present evil age.
For we have been delivered from it, and we are, as we read in Ephesians chapter one, Jesus, in the heavens in Christ, and God says, live that way, No. John was faithful as a prophet. He was exceedingly faithful. He was not a compromiser and he wasn't a celebrity. But he was faithful in that which, in the past that God gave him. But you and I as members of the kingdom of God, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, are now a colony of heaven upon earth and we are there who can experience the blessings that have been brought into existence in this age through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ and look forward to the age to come when all rights will be wronged or all wrongs will be righted and the righteousness of God and the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seed.
We can say, even so come, Lord Jesus. Let's pray it again. Our Father, we thank you now for your word, for the testimony of your word. We thank you for these truths that you have given us in order that we may live soberly and righteously and godly as we await that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God. We thank you for this time together tonight, in the name of him who loved us and gave himself for us.