23 Prophecies Fulfilled through Jesus
Introduction
The Hebrew Scriptures are filled with remarkable events teeming with age-old wisdom, lofty poetry, and the prophetic visions of their best. The prophecies serve as signposts that guide humanity to recognize the promised Messiah.
In this blog post, I show twenty-three prophecies fulfilled through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Before I do that, I want to ponder something else. Why did the writers of the gospels think it was important that Jesus fulfilled prophecies?
Why Was It Important that Jesus Fulfilled Prophecies?
Verification of Jesus' Identity as the Messiah
By demonstrating that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, the Gospel writers sought to establish his credentials as the long-awaited Messiah promised by God. This was crucial for convincing both Jewish and Gentile audiences of Jesus' divine mission and identity.
Divine Plan and Fulfillment of Scripture
The fulfillment of prophecies underscored the belief that Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection were part of God's overarching plan for salvation. It highlighted the continuity between the Hebrew scriptures and the events of Jesus' life, portraying Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises throughout history.
Building Faith and Strengthening Belief
Early Christians and prospective converts’ faiths were strengthened by the fact that Jesus was not merely a teacher or prophet but the fulfillment of ancient promises. Jesus is unique to God’s redemptive plan.
A Link with Jewish Scriptures
The Jewish audience, familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), would have recognized the significance of prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. It provided a connection with their religious heritage and the new revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, inviting them to reconsider their understanding of scripture in light of Jesus' life and teachings.
Apologetic Purpose
As the first followers of Jesus explained why they thought he was the Messiah, they countered objections by pointing to specific prophecies he had fulfilled. This reinforced the validity of their claims about Jesus’ identity and mission.
A List of Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
1. Messiah to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
Fulfilled in Jesus’ virgin birth (Matthew 1:22-23)
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
2. Messiah to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
Fulfilled in Jesus' birth in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 2:4-7)
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
Bethlehem Today.
3. Messiah to be preceded by a messenger (Malachi 3:1)
Fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-3).
Malachi 3:1 (NIV): "I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.
4. Messiah to enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
Fulfilled in Jesus' triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10).
Zechariah 9:9 (NIV): "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
5. Messiah to be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9)
Fulfilled in Judas' betrayal of Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50).
Psalm 41:9 (NIV): "Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me."
"Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over."
Matthew 26:14-16
6. Messiah to be sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13)
Fulfilled in the betrayal price paid to Judas (Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50).
Zechariah 11:12-13 (NIV): "I told them, 'If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.' So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'—the handsome price at which they valued me!"
7. Messiah to be silent before accusers (Isaiah 53:7)
Fulfilled in Jesus' silence during trials (Matthew 27:12-14).
Isaiah 53:7 (NIV): "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."
8. Messiah to be crucified with criminals (Isaiah 53:12)
Fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion between two thieves (Matthew 27:38).
Isaiah 53:12 (NIV): "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
9. Messiah's garments to be divided by casting lots (Psalm 22:18)
Fulfilled in soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothing (Matthew 27:35).
Psalm 22:18 (NIV): "They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment."
10. Messiah's bones not to be broken (Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20)
Fulfilled in Jesus' unbroken legs during crucifixion (John 19:31-36).
Exodus 12:46 (NIV): "It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones."
11. Messiah to rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10)
Fulfilled in Jesus' resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10).
Psalm 16:10 (NIV): "because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay."
12. Messiah to ascend to the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1)
Fulfilled in Jesus' ascension (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11).
Psalm 110:1 (NIV): "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'"
13. Messiah to be called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1)
Fulfilled in Jesus' flight to Egypt and return (Matthew 2:14-15).
Hosea 11:1 (NIV): "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."
14. Messiah to be a descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Isaiah 11:1)
Fulfilled in Jesus' genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38).
2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NIV): "When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."
15. Messiah to be a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19)
Fulfilled in Jesus' teaching and ministry (Acts 3:22-23).
Deuteronomy 18:18-19 (NIV): "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name."
16. Messiah to heal the blind, deaf, and lame (Isaiah 35:5-6)
Fulfilled in Jesus' miracles of healing (Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22).
Isaiah 35:5-6 (NIV): "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy."
17. Messiah to speak in parables (Psalm 78:2)
Fulfilled in Jesus' use of parables (Matthew 13:34-35).
Psalm 78:2 (NIV): "I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old."
18. Messiah to cleanse the temple (Malachi 3:1)
Fulfilled in Jesus' cleansing of the temple (Matthew 21:12-13).
Malachi 3:1 (NIV): "I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.
19. Messiah to be rejected by his own people (Isaiah 53:3)
Fulfilled in Jesus' rejection and crucifixion (John 1:11; 19:14-16).
Isaiah 53:3 (NIV): "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."
20. Messiah to bring salvation to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6)
Fulfilled in the spread of the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 13:47).
Isaiah 49:6 (NIV): "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
21. Messiah to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6)
Fulfilled in Jesus' ministry and global impact (Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47).
Isaiah 42:6 (NIV): "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles."
22. Messiah to be the cornerstone rejected by builders (Psalm 118:22-23)
Fulfilled in Jesus' role as the rejected cornerstone (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11).
Psalm 118:22-23 (NIV): "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."
23. Messiah to suffer and die for sins (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12)
Fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion as atonement for sin (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).
Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV): "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him.”
