The Messianic Prophecies
By Britt Gillette
The following are 37 Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. There are numerous others.
#1: Born in Bethlehem – Approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah predicted the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. He claimed that while Bethlehem is only a small village in Judah, a ruler of Israel whose origins are from the distant past will come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Was Jesus born in Bethlehem? Yes. Shortly before His birth, the Roman Emperor decreed a census be taken throughout the Empire. As part of the census, people were required to return to their ancestral towns to register. As a descendant of King David, Joseph was required to go to Bethlehem, taking his wife Mary with him (Luke 2:1-5). And while they were there, Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1).
#2: Born of a Virgin – 2,700 years ago, the prophet Isaiah relayed a message from God to King Ahaz. In His message, God promised to send a sign. What kind of sign? A virgin would give birth to a child and name Him Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy as well. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still engaged, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph considered breaking the engagement, until an angel appeared to him in a dream and confirmed that the child was conceived of the Holy Spirit. The angel said to name Him Jesus because He would save people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-21).
#3: A Descendant of Judah – In his last words to his sons nearly 4,000 years ago, Jacob revealed that the ruling scepter would not depart from Judah, noting that the Messiah (the one who all nations will serve) will be from the family of Judah (Genesis 49:10). The Gospels confirm that Jesus was descended from Judah (Luke 3:23-38, Matthew 1:1-17).
#4: Great Kings Will Pay Homage and Tribute – Three thousand years ago, Solomon predicted the Western kings of Tarshish and the eastern kings of Sheba and Seba would bestow gifts upon the Messiah (Psalm 72:10). This happened to Jesus as well. After He was born, some wise men from eastern lands followed a star in the sky to Bethlehem. When they arrived and saw Mary and Jesus, they bowed down to worship Him, opening their treasure chests and giving Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:1-2,11).
#5: A Descendant of David – More than a thousand years before Jesus was born, God promised David He would place one of his descendants on the throne, and the royal line of David would continue forever and ever (Psalm 132:11-12). Three hundred years after David, the prophet Jeremiah revealed that God would raise up a righteous descendant who rules with wisdom from the line of King David (Jeremiah 23:5-6, 33:15). So was Jesus a descendant of King David? Yes. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and informed her that she would give birth to a son, he revealed that Jesus would be called the Son of the Most High, and God would give Him the throne of His ancestor David (Luke 1:32-33). The Gospel of Matthew also provides a family lineage of Jesus which traces His roots back to King David (Matthew 1:1-17).
#6: Taken to Egypt – 2,700 years ago, the prophet Hosea predicted that the Messiah would be called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Was Jesus called out of Egypt? Yes. After Jesus’ birth, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to flee to Egypt because King Herod was trying to kill the newborn child. So Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt. When Herod died, an angel of God appeared in Joseph’s dream and told him it was safe to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel (Matthew 2:13-20).
#7: Heralded by a Messenger – 2,700 years ago, the prophet Isaiah revealed that the arrival of the Messiah would be preceded by a messenger – a voice crying in the wilderness, “Make a straight pathway for our God!” This messenger would shout from the mountaintops, telling Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” (Isaiah 40:3-11). So did such a messenger precede Jesus? Yes. Before Jesus began His ministry, the Jewish leaders sent a group of men to ask John the Baptist who he was. When John said he was not the Messiah, they asked, “Then who are you?” John echoed these very words written by Isaiah, stating “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness. Clear a straight path for the Lord!” (John 1:19-27). This is the same John the Baptist who testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
#8: Is the Son of God – God promised to proclaim to the Messiah “you are my son, and today I have become your Father” (Psalm 2:7-8). This happened to Jesus as well. After being baptized by John, Jesus came out of the water, the heavens opened up, and God’s Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. A voice from heaven then said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
#9: Anointed by the Holy Spirit – Isaiah also prophesied that out of the stump of David, a shoot will grow, and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him (Isaiah 11:2). This is a prophecy stating that God’s Spirit will come to rest upon the Messiah. Did anything like this happen to Jesus? Yes. Following His baptism, the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and came to rest upon Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17).
#10: Brings Light to Galilee – 2,700 years ago, Isaiah prophesied that there would come a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles which lies between the Jordan and the sea would be filled with glory. A light would shine for the people who walk in darkness, for a child will be born and His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:1-7). In other words, the Messiah would first appear in Galilee. So did Jesus first appear in Galilee? Yes. The Town of Nazareth was located in the province of Galilee between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Raised in Nazareth, Jesus began His ministry in Galilee, preaching first in Nazareth and then in Capernaum (Matthew 4:12-17).
#11: The Sick Will Be Healed – Seven hundred years before Jesus began His ministry, Isaiah prophesied that God would come to save His people, and when He comes, He will heal the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute (Isaiah 35:5-6). Later, Isaiah says the Messiah will be weighed down by our sicknesses and diseases (Isaiah 53:4). So according to Isaiah, the Messiah would heal the sick. So did Jesus do this? On many occasions. In one such instance, Jesus healed a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-4). On other occasions, He healed a man with a deformed hand (Matthew 12:9-14). He cured Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of her fever and healed many people who were sick with varying diseases (Mark 1:29-34). He healed a woman who suffered bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5:24-34). He cured a woman who had been crippled for 18 years (Luke 13:10-17). He healed ten lepers simultaneously (Luke 17:11-19), and He healed the dying son of a government official from Capernaum (John 4:46-54). And there are many other instances where Jesus healed the sick.
#12: The Blind Will See – Isaiah also prophesied that the Messiah would be a light unto the nations and would open the eyes of the blind (Isaiah 42:6-7). So did Jesus open the eyes of the blind? Yes. The Gospels testify to numerous instances where Jesus healed the blind. For instance, Jesus healed a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). He also healed two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31), and He cured another blind man by spitting on the ground, rubbing mud in the man’s eyes, and having him wash the mud off in the pool of Siloam (John 9:1-12).
#13: The Deaf Will Hear – Isaiah also prophesied that when the Messiah comes, the deaf will hear (Isaiah 29:18-19), for the Messiah will unplug the ears of the deaf (Isaiah 35:5). So did Jesus restore hearing to the deaf? Yes. In one such instance, Jesus put His fingers in the ears of a deaf man with a speech impediment, touched the man’s tongue, and said “be opened!” and the man could hear (Mark 7:31-37). Another time, a demon-possessed boy was unable to hear or speak. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it left the boy (Mark 9:14-29).
#14: The Lame Will Walk – Isaiah also prophesied that the Messiah would have power to cure the paralyzed, that the lame will leap like a deer (Isaiah 35:5-6). Did Jesus heal the paralyzed? Yes. When some people brought a paralyzed man on a mat to Jesus, He told the man, “Your sins are forgiven. Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” Instantly, the man hopped up and went home (Matthew 9:1-8). While in Jerusalem, Jesus saw a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. He told the man, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” and in an instant, the man was healed (John 5:1-18).
#15: Will Raise The Dead – 2,500 years ago, the prophet Zechariah revealed that the Messiah would resurrect the dead (Zechariah 9:11). Did Jesus do this? Yes. He not only raised Himself from the dead, but the Gospels also record several instances where He raised others from the dead. For instance, Jairus’ 12 year-old daughter was pronounced dead, but when Jesus entered her home, took hold of her hand, and said “Little girl, get up,” she immediately stood up and started walking around (Mark 5:21-43). Outside the village of Nain, Jesus encountered a funeral procession for a widow’s only son. He approached the coffin and told the boy, “get up!” And the dead boy sat up and talked (Luke 7:11-17). Although Lazarus had been dead in his grave for four days, Jesus ordered his tomb opened and said, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus walked out of his tomb (John 11:1-44).
#16: Enters Jerusalem on a Donkey – 2,500 years ago, the prophet Zechariah said the Messiah will ride into Jerusalem to shouts of triumph, and while He is all-powerful, He will humble Himself by riding on a donkey’s colt (Zechariah 9:9). So did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of triumph? Yes. Five hundred years after Zechariah’s prophecy, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. The crowds spread their clothes and palm branches on the ground before Him, singing praises to God for the one who comes in the name of the Lord (Matthew 21:1-11).
#17: He Will Enter the Temple – Approximately 500 years before the birth of Christ, God proclaimed through the prophet Malachi that He would send a messenger ahead of Himself to prepare the way, and then the Lord everyone is seeking will come to His Temple (Malachi 3:1). In other words, the Messiah would be preceded by a messenger and then enter His Temple. Jesus was preceded by a messenger (John the Baptist), and then He entered the Temple where He overturned the tables of the money changers (John 2:13-22). Keep in mind that the Romans destroyed the Temple almost 2,000 years ago, so no one who has lived since then is capable of fulfilling this prophecy.
#18: Betrayed by a Friend – Over 3,000 years ago, King David prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed by a trusted best friend, a person so close they shared each other’s food (Psalm 41:9). Did this happen to Jesus? Yes. A thousand years later, David’s prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus predicted His betrayal at the last supper. He told the disciples He would dip His bread in a bowl and hand it to the one who would betray Him. He did so and handed the bread to Judas (John 13:21-30). Judas then left the room and went off to betray Jesus.
#19: Betrayed for 30 Pieces of Silver – Five hundred years before it happened, the prophet Zechariah foretold the exact price for which the Messiah would be betrayed – 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12). After Jesus dipped His bread in the bowl and handed it to Judas, Judas went to the Jewish priests and elders and betrayed Jesus for the exact sum of 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15).
#20: Thrown into the Potter’s Field – Five hundred years before Judas betrayed Jesus, God told the prophet Zechariah that the 30 pieces of silver, the great sum at which He was valued, would be thrown in the potter’s field (Zechariah 11:13).
So what is a potter’s field? In ancient times, the potter’s field was the place of burial for unknown or indigent people. Clay was extracted from the fields for the production of pottery, but the leftover field was only useful as a burial ground. When Judas betrayed Jesus to the Jewish priests and elders, they paid him 30 pieces of silver. But when he realized what he had done, Judas returned and tried to give the money back. When they wouldn’t take it, he threw the money down in the Temple. Thinking it not right to put blood money in the Temple treasury, the leading priests used the money to buy a potter’s field for the burial of foreigners (Matthew 27:3-8).
#21: Will Be Rejected – 2,700 years ago, the prophet Isaiah described the Messiah as “despised and rejected,” a man familiar with the deepest sadness. The people would turn their backs on Him (Isaiah 53:3). When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Pilate presented Him to the people and said, “Here is your king.” But the people demanded He be crucified. “Crucify your king?” Pilate responded. But the people said, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:14-15). Jesus was rejected as king and despised by the leaders of His day, yet as Peter said, “the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone” thus fulfilling Psalm 118:22 (Acts 4:11).
#22: Silent in Front of His Accusers – Seven hundred years before Jesus was brought before the High Council and accused of blasphemy, the prophet Isaiah claimed the Messiah would be silent when faced by His accusers, much like a sheep is silent before the shearers (Isaiah 53:7). Was Jesus silent before His accusers? He was. When the high priest Caiaphas asked Jesus, “What do you have to say for yourself? How do you answer these charges?” Jesus was silent (Matthew 26:62-63).
#23: Accused by False Witnesses – A thousand years earlier, King David predicted the Messiah would be accused and slandered by false witnesses (Psalm 35:11). He prophesied these false witnesses would claim, “We saw Him do it with our own eyes” (Psalm 35:21). Is this what happened to Jesus? Yes. The leading priests and the high council couldn’t find any evidence against Jesus. So many false witnesses testified against Him saying, “We ourselves heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands and raise another in three days made without human hands.'” But even the lying witnesses couldn’t get their stories straight (Mark 14:55-59).
#24: Will Be Beaten, Mocked, and Spit Upon – More than 700 years before the crucifixion, the prophet Isaiah said the Messiah would give His back to those who beat Him, His cheeks to those who pull His beard, and His face to those who mock and spit upon Him (Isaiah 50:6). Does this describe Jesus? Yes. After Caiaphas tore his own clothing and accused Jesus of blasphemy, the other accusers shouted “Guilty!” They spit in Jesus’ face and beat Him with their fist. Then, they mocked Him, saying “prophesy to us Messiah – who hit you that time?” (Matthew 26:67).
#25: Will Be Beaten, Bloodied, and Disfigured – Centuries before the crucifixion, the prophet Isaiah said the Messiah’s face would be so disfigured few would hardly recognize Him as human (Isaiah 52:13-14). Is this the case with Jesus? Yes. Before the crucifixion, Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, and the Roman soldiers fit a crown of thorns upon His head (John 19:1-3). This would have severely disfigured Jesus.
#26: Will Be Mocked and Told to Save Himself – A thousand years before the cross, King David prophesied the Messiah would be mocked by onlookers who will say, “The Lord loves Him so much, huh? Let the Lord save Him now” (Psalm 22:7-8).
This is precisely what happened to Jesus. While He was being crucified, the people mocked Jesus saying, “Save yourself and come down from the cross.” The religious leaders also mocked Jesus saying, “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself. If He’s the King of Israel, let Him come down from that cross and then we’ll believe. If He’s the Son of God, let God save Him now” (Matthew 27:39-44).
#27: Pierced Hands and Feet – A thousand years before Jesus was crucified, King David prophesied that the Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16). Were Jesus’ hands and feet pierced? Yes. Forced to carry His own cross, Jesus was taken to a place called Golgotha, where He was nailed to the cross. Two others were crucified also, one on either side of Him (John 19:17-18). The very method of crucifixion required the Roman soldiers to drive nails through Jesus’ hands and feet. Even though crucifixion wasn’t invented at the time of King David’s prophecy (in those days the preferred method of execution was stoning), every letter of this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified.
#28: Will Be Given Vinegar and Gall to Drink – A thousand years before the crucifixion, King David predicted the Messiah would be given gall (poison) for food and sour wine to quench His thirst (Psalm 69:21). Did this happen to Jesus? Yes. When they arrived at Golgotha, the soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall (poison), but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it (Matthew 27:34). One of the bystanders at the crucifixion filled a sponge with sour wine and held it up to Jesus on a stick so He could drink it (Mark 15:36).
#29: His Clothes Divided Up – A thousand years before the crucifixion, King David prophesied that others would cast lots to determine who would get the Messiah’s garments at His execution (Psalm 22:17-18). Did this happen to Jesus? Yes. When the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus, they divided His clothes among themselves. But His robe was a single garment, woven from top to bottom, and they didn’t want to tear it. So rather than tear it, they decided to throw dice to see who got it (John 19:23-24).
#30: His Bones Not Broken – King David also prophesied that the bones of a righteous person would never be broken (Psalm 34:19-20). Only one righteous person ever lived – the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And His bones were never broken, despite His being crucified! The day of the crucifixion was also the day of preparation (the next day was Passover), and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the crucified bodies hanging in public on a Sabbath. So they asked Pilate to speed up the executions by breaking the legs of those who were being crucified. Pilate agreed and the soldiers broke the legs of the two men being crucified with Jesus, but when the soldiers got to Jesus, they did not break His legs, because they saw that He was already dead (John 19:31-33).
#31: The Messiah’s Side Will Be Pierced – Five hundred years before the crucifixion, Zechariah prophesied that the people of Israel will look upon me (the Messiah) whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son (Zechariah 12:10). Was Jesus pierced? Yes. One of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus with a spear (John 19:34).
#32: Life Poured Out Like Water – In a psalm which depicts a detailed description of death by crucifixion (even though this method of execution hadn’t been invented yet), King David prophesied that the Messiah’s life would be poured out like water (Psalm 22:14). So is this what happened to Jesus? Yes. When the soldiers went to break Jesus’ legs, and they saw He was already dead, one of the soldiers pierced the side of Jesus and blood and water flowed out (John 19:34).
#33: Will Be Struck Down and His Disciples Scattered – Five hundred years before Jesus, the prophet Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would be struck down, and His followers scattered, declaring, “Strike down the shepherd, and His sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7).
At the last supper, Jesus (quoting Zechariah 13:7) told His disciples that they would desert Him on that very night (Matthew 26:31). That night, when Jesus was betrayed and arrested in Gethsemane, all the disciples deserted Him and fled (Matthew 26:56).
#34: Will Be Buried in a Rich Man’s Grave – Hundreds of years before Jesus’ execution, the prophet Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would be treated like a common criminal and buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9). Did this happen to Jesus? Yes. As evening approached on the day of the crucifixion, a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea (one of Jesus’ followers) asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. Pilate agreed to release the body, and Joseph wrapped it in a clean sheet of linen cloth. Then he placed Jesus’ body in the tomb he had prepared for himself, sealing it by rolling a boulder into the entrance (Matthew 27:59-60).
#35: Will Rise from the Dead – A thousand years before the resurrection, King David prophesied that the Messiah’s body would not be left among the dead, that God would not allow His Holy One to rot in the grave (Psalm 16:10). Psalm 49 reveals that God will restore the Messiah’s life, saving Him from the power of the grave (Psalm 49:15). Three days and three nights after the crucifixion, Mary and Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. When they arrived, a great earthquake shook the ground. The angel of the Lord came down from heaven, the rock rolled away from the tomb’s entrance, the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb fainted, and the angel spoke to the two women, telling them Jesus had risen from the dead just as He had promised (Matthew 28:5-7).
#36: Will Ascend to Heaven – A thousand years before the resurrection, King David prophesied that the Messiah would ascend to heaven (Psalm 68:18). Did Jesus ascend to heaven? Yes. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was taken up to heaven while blessing the disciples (Luke 24:51). The Book of Acts says that after talking to the disciples, Jesus was lifted up into a white cloud, and the disciples strained to see Him as He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11).
#37: Will Be Served by Future Generations – King David also prophesied that the Messiah would be served by our children, and future generations will hear about His wonders (Psalm 22:30). Have future generations heard about the wonders of Jesus? You bet. Every generation since the crucifixion of Christ has heard of his righteous acts and everything He has done. Today, consciously or unconsciously, the name of Jesus graces the lips of everyone on the face of the earth. So What Does This Mean? That’s all well and good you might say, but you’re heavily reliant on the New Testament to verify that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. How can we be sure the New Testament is reliable? This is where faith comes into play – not a faith built on blind acceptance, but a faith built on trust. Remember, the same Bible predicted the gathering of the Jews from the farthest corners of the earth to re-establish the nation of Israel. That’s something you can see today with your own eyes. And the same Bible predicted the Medes would conquer Babylon and the Greek Empire would break up into four kingdoms. But again, don’t take my word for it, many historians and archeologists will vouch for the credibility of the New Testament as an accurate historical account. Making that case, though, is far beyond the scope of this book. So I encourage you to examine these claims for yourself. A good place to start is The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.
Conclusion
Only one person fulfilled the Old Testament Messianic prophecies with 100% accuracy – Jesus of Nazareth. No one else. Now if you’re a skeptic, you might say He set out to fulfill these prophecies, and He and His disciples made up stories and arranged His life so He could claim fulfillment of these prophecies. But if that’s the case, how did they arrange the town in which He was born? Or who His descendants were? Or the price paid for His betrayal? They couldn’t.
While Jesus and His disciples could certainly arrange the fulfillment of some of the prophecies (such as riding into Jerusalem on a donkey), they certainly couldn’t dictate the circumstances and the timing of them all. For instance, if you’re a fraud, how do you arrange the healing of a blind man or raise someone from the dead? The fact of the matter is that it’s highly unlikely anyone would fulfill all of these prophecies, yet Jesus did. How unlikely? Let’s say you had a 50/50 chance of fulfilling each of the prophecies just noted. Your odds of success are two to the 37th power – or 1 in 137,438,953,472. So with just a 1 in 2 chance of fulfilling each prophecy, only one out of every 137 billion people would be successful! And that’s assuming your odds are 50/50. Do you really think the average person has a 50/50 chance of being born in Bethlehem? Of being buried in a rich man’s tomb or even entering a Temple that was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago? Probably not. But even so, the odds are still greater than 1 in 137 billion. Why? Because the Old Testament predicted the time of the Messiah’s arrival, and that time has long since passed. Because of that, no one born since that time or who is born in the future can ever fully fulfill the Messianic prophecies. Only one man could and only one man did, and the exact time of His arrival was foretold by Daniel more than 2,600 years ago.
Gillette, Britt. Coming To Jesus: One Man’s Search for Truth and Life Purpose (p. 31-44). Kindle Edition.
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