All talks » Swing low, sweet chariot
Bible: 2 Kings 2
Speaker: Andrew Sach
“Swing low, sweet chariotâ€
2 Kings 2
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How do we know that Jesus is the Saviour-Judge?
1) Christian experience?
2) Eye-witness evidence of Jesus’ resurrection
3) Fulfilment
1) Elisha is Elijah’s true successor
STRUCTURE
vv1-7 Elijah tries to shake off his successor
vv8-15 Elisha succeeds Elijah
vv16-18 Ongoing doubts:
a futile search for Elijah
vv19-22 Elisha can save, just as Elijah did
vv23-25 Elisha can judge, just as Elijah did
Elijah seems reluctant to hand over the mantle to Elisha, perhaps because of the terrible judgment that is about to fall?
(cf. 1 Kings 19:15-19)?
But there is no doubt that God has appointed Elisha as his successor
4) He parts the water, just as Elijah had done (v8, v14)
5) And we are meant to laugh at the fifty sceptics (vv16-18, cf. 2 Kings 1)
2) Elisha is unmistakably the Saviour-Judge
He brings salvation at Jericho
(vv18-22; cf. 1 Kings 16:34)
He brings judgment at Bethel
(vv23-25; cf. 1 Kings 12:28-30)
3) All of this foreshadows the coming of Jesus
Moses Joshua
4) Elijah Elisha
5)
6) John the Baptist Jesus
7) Jesus is unmistakeably the Saviour-Judge
Coffee questions
If you are not a Christian: what do you make of the way that Jesus fulfils the Old Testament? Does this persuade you of his identity as Saviour and Judge?
If you are a Christian: how might you point sceptical friends to the extraordinary way that Jesus fulfils prophecy?
Everyone: have we forgotten that Jesus, the Saviour, is also coming to judge?