Jesus

Today, I want to talk about a subject that funnily enough is not talked about much in churches these days.

I think it is one of the most important subjects to talk about in church and yet I have not heard many sermons about it.

I’ve heard sermons on giving, prosperity, healing, the Holy Spirit, end times, marriage seminars, family seminars. All very important subjects but I haven’t heard many sermons on this subject.,

In 2002 I was at church when the pastor finished his sermon he announced that next week he would be starting a series on this subject and I was amazed that in 16 years that would be the first time I heard a sermon about this.

This is a very controversial subject.

I said that to get the pastor worried.

But to the world it is very controversial.

If you’re an Atheist you will find it controversial and challenging.

If you’re Islamic you will find it controversial and challenging.

If you’re a Buddhist, you will find it controversial and challenging.

If you’re New Age you will find it controversial and challenging.

If you are a Christian, you really need to know and understand and believe this message.

Can you guess what I want to talk about, or rather, who I want to talk about?

The subject is the person who is the centre of our faith. Jesus.

We hear sermons about hope but without Jesus there is no hope.

We hear sermons about faith but without Jesus there is no faith.

We hear sermons about love but without Jesus there is no love.

We hear sermons about salvation but without Jesus there is no salvation.

What’s the point of church without Jesus?

Peter once said

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

We are living in a time when the world is moving away from God and becoming hostile towards Christianity.

There are and will be attacks on the very basis of Christianity and as Peter says we will need to ‘be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us’.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthinans 15. that the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, He rose again and was seen by many people. And now we are saved by believing this gospel and putting our faith in Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (NKJV) says;
¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

That’s the gospel. Jesus is central to that gospel.

It was Jesus who was tortured and crucified as a sacrifice for our sins.

It was Jesus who was buried and who rose again from the dead after three days.

Jesus warned us in

Matthew 24:4-5 (NKJV)
⁴ ….: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

How will be able to recognise the deceivers when they come if we don’t know the real Jesus?

After all, the Jews waited thousands of years for their messiah but failed to recognise Him when He came.

So who is this person we call Jesus?

John tells us that Jesus was the Word, that He was God and that He was the creator;

John 1:1-4 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 (NKJV)
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” That’s Jesus

Paul says in Colossians 1. 15-20 that Jesus;

Colossians 1:15-20 (NKJV)
¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
¹⁸ And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Isaiah tells us that the creator is God;

Isaiah 45:18 (NKJV)
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

So, Jesus

Is the image of the invisible God
By Him all things were created that are in heaven and earth.
And In Him dwells the fullness of God
He is God.

Jesus the Man

That Jesus was a man is not disputed by most historians whether Christian or otherwise.

His life and activities are referred to by Roman and Jewish historians of the time as well as reported in the Bible.

Flavious Josephus (AD 37-100) said; “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew many over to him both of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day.”

Although He was born of the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, he was as much a human as anyone else.

He was born a baby and had to be fed, to grow, to be educated and trained as any other child would.

Like any other person, He got from place to place by walking or riding a donkey.

Jesus had a normal upbringing as a child although he obviously knew what his future held when He was 12 years old as demonstrated when he visited Jerusalem with his parents.

Luke 2:49 (NKJV)
⁴⁹ And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

Right from the beginning of his life, his parents must have realised that he was going to be someone special, a king at His conception and birth He was heralded by angels, and after he was born, wise men from the east following his star, came to visit him and bring him gifts.

Jesus - God

That Jesus is God is fundamental to the Christian faith. This is based on four main witnesses;

The prophecies He fulfilled
What Jesus said about himself,
What Jesus did, and
What others said about Him.

1. The Prophecies Jesus Fulfilled

There are more than 300 Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled through Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

According to the Lotto people, the chances of getting 6 numbers right in Lotto is 1:8,145,060

The chances of getting the 7 numbers to win Oz Lotto are 1: 45,379,620

It is said that the chances of one person fulfilling just eight of these messianic prophecies are one in a hundred quadrillion that’s 1 followed by 16 zeros.

The odds of someone fulfilling 300 are just too much to comprehend.

Both Mary and Joseph (his step-father) were of the line of David and the tribe of Judah, fulfilling prophecies from: Psalm 132:1 1 , Jeremiah 23:5 , and Isaiah 11:1 0 , Micah 5:2 , Genesis 3:1 5 , Isaiah 7:1 4 , Genesis 49:1 0 ,

Here are some examples of the messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled;

The Messiah would be the “Seed of a Woman”
He would be the promised seed of Shem, of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Judah and of David.
He would be born of a Virgin
He would be born in Bethlehem
He would come forth from Egypt as a child
He would be called a “Nazarene”
He would have a forerunner (John the Baptist) go before Him
He would begin His ministry in Galilee
He would bring salvation for both Jews and Gentiles
The Holy Spirit would rest upon Him
He would be a prophet
He would be a teacher
He would teach in parables
He would be a miracle-worker
He Would be Rejected by His people
He would suffer greatly
He would be praised while riding the colt of a donkey
He would be betrayed by a friend
He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver
He would be forsaken by His disciples
He would be accused by false witnesses
He would be silent before his accusers
He would be smitten across the face
He would be spat upon
He would be whipped on the back
His body would be disfigured
He Would be Pierced in His Hands, Feet and His body
But His bones would not be broken
He would be killed alongside the guilty
He would pray for His persecutors
He would be the object of ridicule
His Garments would be gambled for
He would be deserted by God
He would agonize with thirst
His friends would stand far off
He would be buried with the rich
He would not be bound to the power of death
He would destroy the power of death for others
He would be raised on the third day
He would ascend to heaven

These were just some of the prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus.

2. What did Jesus say about himself ?

John 8:12 (NKJV)
¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

John 11:25-26 (KJV)
²⁵ …… I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
²⁶ And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. ….

John 14:6 (NKJV)
⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Matthew 10:40 (NKJV)
⁴⁰ "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

John 14:9 (NKJV)
⁹ …. He who has seen Me has seen the Father; …….

John 8:58 (NKJV)
⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." A claim where He clearly identifies himself as God.

John 6:38 (NKJV)
³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

John 6:40 (NKJV)
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Mark 14:61-62 (NKJV)
⁶¹ …. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

John 6:51 (KJV)
⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

John 10:9 (KJV)
⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 10:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:11 (KJV)
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

John 10:30 (NKJV)
I and My Father are one."

John 10:36-38 (KJV)
³⁶ Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
³⁷ If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
³⁸ But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 13:13 (KJV)
¹³ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

These are some of the claims of Jesus.

Clearly He believed He was sent by God

Clearly He believed That He was the Son of God

Clearly He believed That He and the Father were one.

Clearly He believed That He was God.

3. What did Jesus do?

He did the works of God;

John 10:37-38 (NKJV)
³⁷ If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
³⁸ but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."

What were these works that Jesus did?

Jesus healed the sick.
He performed miracles.
He cast out demons.
He forgave sins something only God can do.
He taught as only God would teach in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5, 6 and7)

Consider His response to John the Baptist when John sent his disciples to Jesus asking if he was their messiah.

Luke 7. 22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:

that the blind see,
the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
the poor have the gospel preached to them.
And blessed is he who is not offended because of me.”

Acts 10:38 (KJV) says;
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Mark 2:5 (NKJV)
⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

Jesus gave His life for us (Gal 1.4)

From the moment Adam sinned, Christ has given Himself for us.
Everything He said or did was so that at some stage He would be able to redeem us and bring us back into relationship with God.
He lived for us in heaven before He was born
When He became man He devoted His life to us.
He was crucified rose again and was seen by over 500 people before He went to be with the Father.
He defeated Satan for us
He lives today for us – even now He is making intercession for us.

4. What did others say about Jesus?

In addition to the many prophecies in the Bible, there are also some other important messages about Jesus.

We have already seen that John said that He was the Word, that He was God and that He made everything. (John 1)

We have already seen that Paul said He was the image of the invisible God and that He created all things. (Col 1:15-16)

In Matthew, the Bible says He was God with us.

Matthew 1. 22
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

In John 3:16 and 18 the Bible says that He is the only begotten Son of God;

In Revelation chapter 5 verse 8 it says “

…. and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Satan

Satan himself in Matthew 4:1-11 called Him the Son of God.

Demons said in Luke 4:33 said;

“…I know who You are— the Holy One of God!”

The Jews

The Jews accused Him of making Himself out to be God:

John 10:31-33 (KJV)
³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
³² Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
³³ The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Angels Proclaiming His birth said;

Luke 2.8-11
….. “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.

The Father called Him His Beloved Son.

At the transfiguration, where the disciples saw Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, God’s voice declared him to be His son;

Matthew 17:5 (NKJV)
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

John the Baptist said;

Luke 3:16 (KJV)
^…… I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

Elizabeth called Him her Lord;

When the mother of John the Baptist saw Mary she called her the mother of her Lord.

Martha said;

John 11:27 (KJV)
…. Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

Peter said;

Matthew 16:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Pilate wrote over the cross;

John 19:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The Centurian at the Cross said;

Mark 15:37-39 (NKJV)
³⁷ And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
³⁹ So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

Thomas said;

In John 20.28 Thomas who had previously said he would not believe Christ had risen until he had felt Christ’s scars said

John 20:28-29 (NKJV)
… Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

People often criticise Thomas for doubting but thank God for him because he has provided us with documented evidence that not only is Christ risen from the dead, not only is Jesus Lord and God but that Jesus also accepted that description.

Paul said;

1 Corinthians 15:47 (KJV)
⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

Philippians 2:5-6 (NKJV)
⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

The Writer of Hebrews said;

Hebrews 1:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your Kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
¹⁰ And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

The Church Fathers;

In AD 381, the early church fathers got together to develop one creed or statement of belief that all the different lines of Christianity could accept. This was known as the Nicene Creed.

The first part of the Nicene Creed reads as follows:

“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father. By him were all things made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was made flesh from the Holy Spirit and Mary the virgin, became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. He rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures, and ascended into the heavens. He sits on the right hand of the Father and will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will not end. ……

C.S. Lewis said;

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Other evidences

There are other evidences too.

There’s the effect he had on his disciples many of whom died a horrific death proclaiming his name.
There’s the fact that the church has survived 2000 years.
There’s the effect on people today where prayers in His name are answered, people healed, set free, lives changed and circumstances turned around.
There’s the fulfilment of His prophecies that He made about the end times that we are seeing for ourselves now.
There’s the testimony of those who have overcome by the blood of the lamb.
There’s your testimony. The story of how Jesus has changed your life. Write it down and constantly remind yourself.
The Names of Jesus

The Bible also contains a number of names or titles for Jesus.

In the Bible, names were not just what people were called but they had a special meaning. Sometimes they described the person’s character, what they were or what it were to become for instance, God gave Abram the name Abraham which meant father of many nations because that was what he was to become.

Some of these other names for Jesus or Yeshua are;

Advocate 1 John 2.1
Almighty Rev 1.8
Alpha & Omega Rev 1.8
Amen Rev 3.14
Apostle & High Priest Heb 3.1
Author & Finisher of our faith Heb 12.2
Author of Eternal Salvation Heb 5.9
Beloved Son Matt 3.17
Bishop of our souls 1 Pet 2.25
Blessed, only Potentate 1 Tim 6.15
Branch Zech 3.8
Branch of Righteousness Jer 33.15
Bread from Heaven John 6.32
Bread of God John 6.33
Bread of Life John 6.35
Captain of our Salvation Heb 2.10
Carpenters Son Matt 13.55
Chief Cornerstone 1 Pet 2.6
Chief Shepherd 1 Pet 5.4
Chosen of God Matt 12.18
Christ Jesus Heb 3.1
Christ of God Luke 9.20
Consolation of Israel Luke 2.25
Counsellor Isaiah 9.6
Creator John 1.3
Day Spring Luke 1.78
Day Star 2 Pet 1.19
Deliverer Rom 11.26
Desire of all Nations Hag 2.7
Door John 10.7
Emmanuel Matt 1.23
Everlasting Father Isaiah 9.6
Faithful & True Rev 19.11
Faithful Witness Rev 1.5
First & Last Rev 1.17
Fore Runner Heb 6.20
Foundation 1 Cor 3.11
Friend of Sinners Matt 11.19
Gift of God John 4.10
Glory of the Lord Isaiah 40.5
GOD Heb 1.8 Phil 2.5-6, Luke 4.12, John 1.1-14
God in the Flesh 1 Tim 3.16
God with Us Matt 1.23, 19.16 Col 2.8-9,
Good Master Matt 19.16
Good Shepherd John 10.11
Governor Matt 2.6
Great High Priest Heb 4.14
Head of Every Man 1 Cor 11.3
Head of the Church Col 1.18
Heir of All Things Heb 1.2
High Priest Heb 3.1
Holy Child Acts 4.27
Holy One & Just Acts 3.14
Holy One of God Mark 1.24
Holy One of Israel Isaiah 41.14
Horn of Salvation Luke 1.69
I am John 8.58 which is how God identifies Himself.(Ex 3:14)
Image of God 2 Cor 4.4
Jesus Matt 1.21
Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 John 2.1
Jesus of Nazareth Mark 1.24
Judge of the Quick and Dead Acts 10.42
Just Man Matt 27.19
Just One Acts 7.52
King Matt 21.5
King of Ages 1 Tim 1.17
King of Israel John 1.49
King of Kings 1 Tim 6.15
King of Saints Rev 15.3
King of the Jews Matt 2.2
Lamb of God John 1.29
Last Adam 1 Cor 15.45
Law Giver James 4.12
Light of the World John 8.12
Lion of the Tribe of Judah Rev 5.5
Lord of Glory 1 Cor 2.8
Lord of Lords Rev 19.16
Lord of Our Righteousness Jer 23.6
Man of Sorrows Isaiah 53.3
Master Matt 216
Mediator 1 Tim 2.5
Messiah Dan 9.25 John 1.41
Mighty God Isaiah 9.6
Morning Star Rev 2.28
Nazarene Matt 2.23
Only Begotten Son John 3.16
Only Begotten of the Father John 1.14
Passover 1 Cor 5.17
Power of God 1 Cor 1.24
Priest Forever Heb 5.6
Prince of Life Acts 3.15
Prince of Peace Isaiah 9.6
Prophet John 7.40
Rabbi John 1.38
Rabboni John 20.16
Redeemer Isaiah 49.26
Resurrection & Life John 11.25
Rock 1 Cor 10.4
Root of David Rev 22.16
Rose of Sharon Song of Sol 2.1
Saviour Luke 2.11
Seed of David 2 Tim 2.8
Servant Matt 12.18
Shiloh Gen 49.10
Son of David Matt 9.27
Son of God Matt 8.29
Son of Man Matt 16.28
Son of Righteousness Mal 4.2
Son of the Blessed Mark 14.61
Son of the Father 2 John 1.3
Son of the Highest Luke 1.32
Teacher of God John 3.2
True Light John 1.9
True Vine John 15.1
The Way, Truth & Life John 14.6
Witness Isaiah 55.4
The Word John 1.1, 1.14
The Word of God Rev 19.13

Which means…He is worthy to be worshipped. . He deserves all honour and all praise.

Musicians and Singers please come to the stage now

Jesus is Unique

He is the Son of God

Matthew 17:5 (NKJV)
^….. suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

He is the only way to the Father

John 14:6 (NKJV)
⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

He is the Creator;

Colossians 1:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

He is God

John 1:1 (NKJV)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)
^…… God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

As Peter said;

Acts 4:12 (NKJV)
¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Not Budda, Not Krishna, Not Mohammad, not good works
Jesus is the only way to the Father, He is the only way to salvation.

Finally, as Paul says in

Romans 10:13 (NKJV)
… "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

That name is Jesus

Jesus is Lord!

Jesus is God!

He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!

Is He your Lord and your God?

If He is stand up and shout out

Tell the world “Jesus you are my Lord and my God”.

Tell the heavens “Jesus you are my Lord and my God”

Tell all creation “Jesus you are my Lord and my God”

As we worship Jesus, I believe He is present here today.

If you need a touch from God, if you need prayer, please come forward now and I will be happy to pray for you.

Some Fulfilled Biblical Prophecies of Jesus

From BibleResources.org

The Messiah would be the “Seed of a Woman”

In this very first prophecy in Scripture (spoken against Satan) God’s plan of redemption can already be seen. God would bring forth a man, through the woman, who would crush Satan’s power.

Prophecy: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise and tread your head under foot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Fulfillment: “But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to (the regulations) of the Law” (Galatians 4:4).

“And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne” (Revelation 12:5).

The Messiah would be the promised seed of Shem

After the Great Flood, Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth became the fathers of all the nations. God indicated that the Messiah would come through Shem–even before Shem had become the ancestor of Abraham, who was the father of the Hebrew nation.

Prophecy: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and blessed by the Lord my God be Shem! And let Canaan be his servant! May God enlarge Japheth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem…” (Genesis 9: 26-27).

Fulfillment: “…the son of Shem…” (Luke 3:36).

The Messiah would be the Promised Seed of Abraham

Prophecy: “Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him, and shall bless themselves by him” (Genesis 18:18).

Fulfillment: “Now the promises (covenants and agreements) were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir)…Who is (none other than) Christ, the Messiah” (Galatians 3:16).

“The book of the ancestry (genealogy) of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the anointed, the son (descendant) of David, the son (descendant) of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1)

The Messiah would be the Promised Seed of Isaac

Prophecy: “But God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac (laughter), and I will establish My covenant or solemn pledge with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his posterity after him” (Genesis 17:19).

…It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Genesis 21: 11 NIV).

Fulfillment: “And Abraham was the father of Isaac…” (Matthew 1:2).

“For Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in her old age, at the set time God had told him” (Genesis 21:2).

The Messiah would be the Promised Seed of Jacob

Prophecy: “I see Him but He is not now; I behold Him, but He is not near; a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall arise out of Israel and shall crush all the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth (Moab’s sons of tumult)” (Numbers 24:17).

Fulfillment: “And Isaac begat Jacob…” (Matthew 1:2)

The Messiah would descend from the tribe of Judah

Prophecy: “The scepter or leadership shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh (the Messiah, the Peaceful One) comes to Whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Genesis 49:10).

“But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved” (Psalm 78: 68 NIV).

Fulfillment: “…which was the son of Judah” (Luke 3:33).

“For it is obvious that our Lord sprang from the tribe of Judah…” (Hebrews 7:14).

“See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah…has won–has overcome and conquered!” (Revelation 5: 5)

The Messiah would descend from David and rule on his throne

Prophecy: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him” (Isaiah 11:1-2 KJV).

“Once for all I have sworn by My Holiness that cannot be violated, I will not lie to David: His offspring shall endure forever, and his throne (shall continue) as the sun before Me” (Psalm 89:35-36).

“Of the increase of His government and of peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that latter time forth, even for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7)

Fulfillment: ” A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of David…” (Matthew 1:1).

“The Lord God shall give unto to Him the throne of his father, David” (Luke 1:32 KJV).

“I am the root and the offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16).

The Messiah would be born of a Virgin

Prophecy: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel–God with us (Isaiah 7:14).

Fulfillment: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant (through the power) of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem

Prophecy: “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah, yet out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days–eternity” (Micah 5:2)

Fulfillment: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king…” (Matthew 2:1).

The Messiah would be born during a time of massacre

Rachel’s name, used in the following prophecy, is naturally associated with Bethlehem, by the fact that her tomb was in that neighborhood.

Prophetic Forecast: “Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not” (Jeremiah 31: 15).

Fulfillment: “Then Herod, when he realized that he had been misled by the wise men, was furiously enraged, and he sent and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that territory who were two years old or under, reckoning according to the date which he had investigated diligently and learned exactly from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

The Messiah would come forth from Egypt as a child

Prophecy: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1).

Fulfillment: “And having risen, he took the Child and His mother by night and withdrew to Egypt, and remained there until Herod’s death. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called My Son” (Matthew 2:14-15).

The Messiah would be called a “Nazarene”

When Isaiah spoke of Jesus as “the Branch,” he used the word “Neh-tzer, meaning “the separated one” or “the Nazarene.”

Prophecy: “And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse (David’s father), and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1)

Fulfillment: “He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled , He shall be called a Nazarene (meaning Branch, Separated One)” (Matthew 2:23).

The Messiah would have a forerunner go before Him

Prophecy: “A voice of one who cries, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord–clear away the obstacles–make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3).

“Behold, I send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, the Messiah, Whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1).

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:5).

Fulfillment: “In those days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness (desert) of Judea, and saying, Repent–that is, think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct–for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness–shouting in the desert: Prepare the road for the Lord; make His highways straight (level, direct)” (Matthew 3:1-3).

“He said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness…” (John 1:23).

“This is he concerning whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before Your face, who shall make ready Your way before You” (Luke 7:27).

The Messiah would begin His ministry in Galilee

Prophecy: “In the former time, the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea of Galilee, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined” (Isaiah 9:1b-2).

Fulfillment: “(Jesus) withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the country of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah might be brought to pass” (Matthew 4:12b-14).

The Messiah would bring salvation for both Jews and Gentiles

Prophecy: Jews: “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place” (Jeremiah 50:6 KJV)

Fulfillment: “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24 KJV).

Prophecy: Gentiles: “Behold My Servant, Whom I uphold; My elect, in Whom My soul delights! I have put My spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice, and right, and reveal truth to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).

Fulfillment: “And in and on His name will the Gentiles–the peoples outside of Israel–set their hopes” (Matthew 12:21).

The Holy Spirit would rest upon the Messiah

Prophecy: “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…” (Isaiah 61:1).

Fulfillment: “And when Jesus was baptized…the heavens were opened and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him” (Matthew 3:16).

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” (Luke 4:18).

The Messiah would be a prophet

Prophecy: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from the midst of your brethren, like me (Moses); to him shall you listen: (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Fulfillment: “Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57b).

The Messiah would proclaim God’s messages

Prophecy: “Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me…I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly–tidings of uprightness and right standing with God. Lo, I have not restrained my lips, as You know, O Lord” (Psalm 40:7,9).

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor and afflicted…” (Isaiah 61:1a).

Fulfillment: “And there was handed to Him (the roll of) the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book, and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord (is) upon Me, because He has anointed Me (the Anointed One, the Messiah) to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; he has sent me to announce release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to send forth delivered those who are oppressed–who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken by calamity; To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord–the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound. The He rolled up the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing (attentively) at Him. And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing” (Luke 4:17-21).

“Soon afterward (Jesus) went on through towns and villages, preaching and bringing the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1a).

The Messiah would be a teacher

Prophecy: “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4, NIV).

“Behold, God exalts and does loftily in His power; who is ruler or a teacher like Him?” (Job 36:22).

Fulfillment: “And all…marveled at the words of grace that came forth from His mouth” (Luke 4:22).

“Rabbi, we know and are certain that You are come from God as a Teacher” (John 3:2).

“Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple court and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them” (John 8:2).

The Messiah would teach in parables

Prophecy: “I will open my mouth in a parable–in instruction by (numerous) examples; I will utter dark sayings of old (that hide important truths)” (Psalm 78:2).

Fulfillment: “And he told them many things in parables–that is, stories by way of illustration…” (Matthew 13:3a).

The Messiah would be a miracle-worker

Prophecy: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy; for waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:5-6).

Fulfillment: (They) asked Him, are You He Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one? And Jesus replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed (by healing), and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news (the Gospel) preached to them” (Matthew 11:3-5).

The Messiah would bear our grief and sorrows

Prophecy: “Surely He has borne our griefs–sickness, weakness, and distress–and carried our sorrows and pain (of punishment). Yet we ignorantly considered Him stricken, smitten and afflicted by God (as if with leprosy). But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement needful to obtain peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Fulfillment: “When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word, and restored to health all who were sick; and thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took (in order to carry away) our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases: (Matthew 8:16-17).

The Messiah Would be Rejected by His people

Prophecy: “He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men…He was despised and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him” (Isaiah 53:3).

Fulfillment: “He came to that which belonged to Him–to His own (domain, creation, things, world)–and they who were His own did not receive him and did not welcome Him” (John 1:11).

The Messiah would suffer greatly

Prophecy: “A man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief…oppressed and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:3,7)

Fulfillment: “…He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed. Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow…” (Matthew 26: 37b-38a).

“He must…suffer many things” (Matthew 16:21).

“And He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ, the Messiah, should suffer…” (Luke 24:46).

“Although He was a Son, He learned (active, special) obedience through what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

The Messiah would be an Intercessor

Prophecy: “He…makes intercession for the transgressors–the rebellious” (Isaiah 53:12b).

Fulfillment: “He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).

“In the days of His flesh (Jesus) offered up definite, special petitions…with strong crying and tears, to Him Who was (always) able to save Him (out) from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God–His godly fear, His piety (that is, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father) (Hebrews 5:7).

“He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them” (Hebrews 7:25b).

The Messiah would be praised while riding the colt of a donkey

Prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your King comes to you; He is (uncompromisingly) just, and having salvation–triumphant and victorious; patient, meek, lowly, and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

Fulfillment: “The next day a vast crowd of those who had come to the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And as they went, they kept shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He and praise to Him Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! And Jesus, having found a young donkey, rode upon it (just) as it is written in the Scriptures, Do not fear, O daughter of Zion! Look! Your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt” (John 12:12-15).

The Messiah would be betrayed by a friend

Prophecy: “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted (relied on and was confident), who ate of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9).

“For it is not an enemy who reproaches and taunts me; then I might bear it…But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend; we had sweet fellowship together, and used to walk to the house of God in company” (Psalm 55:12-14).

Fulfillment: “He replied, He who has just dipped his hand in the same dish with Me will betray Me!” (Matthew 26:21).

“…But it is that the scripture may be fulfilled, he who eats (his) bread with Me has raised up his heel against Me…After Jesus had said these things, He was troubled (disturbed, agitated) in spirit, and said, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you that one of you will deliver Me up–be false to me and betray Me!” (John 13:18,21).

The Messiah would be sold for thirty pieces of silver

Prophecy: “…So they weighed out for my price thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12b).

Fulfillment: “And said, What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? And they weighed out and paid him thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:15).

The thirty pieces of silver would be returned for a potter’s field

Prophecy: “And the Lord said to me, Cast it to the potter (as if He said, To the dogs!), the munificently miserable sum at which I (and My shepherd) am priced by them! And I (Zechariah) took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord” (Zechariah 11:13).

Fulfillment: “And casting the pieces of silver (forward) into the holy place of the sanctuary of the temple, he (Judas) departed and went off and he hanged himself. But the chief priests, picking up the pieces of silver, said, It is not legal to put these in the (consecrated) treasury, for it is the price of blood. So after consultation they bought with them the potter’s field in which to bury strangers” (Matthew 27:5-7).

The Messiah would be forsaken by His disciples

Prophecy: “Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered…” (Zechariah 13:7a).

Fulfillment: “And Jesus said to them, You will all fall away this night–(that is,) you will be caused to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert Me; for it stands written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered” (Mark 14: 27).

The Messiah would be accused by false witnesses

Prophecy: “Malicious and unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not” (Psalm 35:11).

“For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit are opened against me, they have spoken to me and against me with a lying tongue” (Psalm 109:2).

Fulfillment: “Now the chief priests and the whole council (the Sanhedrin) sought to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus…” (Matthew 26:59a).

The Messiah would be silent before his accusers

Prophecy: “He was oppressed, yet when He was afflicted He was submissive and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

“But I, like a deaf man, hear not; and I am like a dumb man who opens not his mouth. Yes, I have become like a man who hears not, in whose mouth are no arguments or replies” (Psalm 38:13-14).

Fulfillment: “But when the charges were made against Him by the chief priests and the elders, he made no answer…He made no reply to him, not even to a single accusation, so that the governor marveled greatly…” (Matthew 27:2,14).

“When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; (when) He was abused and suffered, He made no threats of (vengeance); but He trusted (Himself and everything) to Him who judges fairly” (1 Peter 2:23).

The Messiah would be smitten across the face

Prophecy: “Smite the Shepherd…” (Zechariah 13:7).

“They shall smite the ruler of Israel with a rod–a scepter–on the cheek” (Micah 5:1).

Fulfillment: “And they took the reed-staff and struck Him on the head” (Matthew 27:30).

“Then they…struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face” (Matthew 26:67).

The Messiah would be spat upon

Prophecy: “I gave My…cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

Fulfillment: “Then they spat in his face, and struck him with their fists; and some slapped Him in the face, Saying, Prophesy to us, You Christ, the Messiah! Who was it that struck you?” (Matthew 26:67-68).

“And they spat on Him” (Matthew 27:30).

The Messiah would be whipped on the back

Prophecy: “I gave My back to the smiters…” (Isaiah 50:6)

Fulfillment: “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having whipped Jesus, he handed (Him) over to be crucified” (Mark 15:15).

The Messiah’s body would be disfigured

Prophecy: “(For many, the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished.) His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man’s, and His form beyond that of the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14).

Fulfillment: This above verse gives us a picture of what Jesus must have looked like before He was nailed to the cross, as well as during His time on the cross when His bones became out of joint. The following excerpt is taken from “All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible” by Herbert Lockyer (Zondervan):

“His bruised and swollen face the smiting with the reed produced must have
looked more terrible when, after the crown of thorns had been pressed onto
His forehead, the oozing blood made Him a pitiable sight to behold, blindfolded
as he was (Luke 22:64).”

The Messiah Would be Pierced in His Hands and Feet

Written a thousand years before Christ was born, Psalm 22 reveals the manner of death the Messiah would die. David had never heard of crucifixion, as it was not a practice in Israel at that time. Nevertheless, David writes of piercing the hands and feet, the bones out of joint, the terrible thirst, the body openly displayed, and many other aspects of the crucifixion that Jesus would suffer.

Prophecy: “For (like a pack of dogs) they have encompassed me; a company of evildoers has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16).

Fulfillment: “Then He said to Thomas, Reach out your finger here and see My hands; and put out your hand and place (it) in my side” (John 20:27).

The Messiah’s body would be pierced

Prophecy: “…And they shall look (earnestly) upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for His only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his first-born” (Zechariah 12:10b).

Fulfillment: “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear…” (John 19:34).

“And again, another Scripture says, They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced” (John 19:37).

The Messiah would be killed alongside the guilty

Prophecy: “And they assigned him a grave with the wicked…and He let Himself be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:9a,12b).

Fulfillment: “And with him they crucified two robbers, one on (His) right hand and one His left. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, He was counted among the transgressors” (Mark 15:27-28).

The Messiah would pray for His persecutors

Prophecy: “He…made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

“In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I resort to prayer” (Psalm 109:4).

Fulfillment: “And Jesus prayed, Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

The Messiah would be the object of ridicule

Prophecy: “I am also become a taunt and a reproach to others; when they see me they shake their heads” (Psalm 109: 25).

“All who see me laugh at me and mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, he trusted and rolled himself on the Lord, that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing He delights in him!” (Psalm 22: 7-8).

“As with a sword (crushing) in my bones, my enemies taunt and reproach me; while they say continually to me, Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:10).

“He said to them, You will doubtless quote to me this proverb, Physician, heal Yourself!” (Luke 4: 23a).

Fulfillment: “And those who passed by spoke reproachfully and abusively and jeered at Him, wagging their heads” (Matthew 27:39).

“In the same way the chief priests with the scribes and elders made sport of Him saying,…He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He cares for Him and will (have Him), for He said, I am the son of God” (Matthew 27:41,43).

“And those who passed by kept reviling Him and reproaching Him abusively in harsh and insolent language, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, now rescue Yourself (from death) coming down from the cross. So also the chief priests with the scribes made sport of Him to one another, saying, He rescued others (from death); Himself He is unable to rescue” (Mark 15:29-31).

“Those who were crucified with Him also reviled and reproached Him–speaking abusively, harshly, and insolently” (Mark 15:32).

“…The rulers scoffed and sneered (turned up their noses) at Him, saying, He rescued others (from death), let Him now rescue Himself, if He is the Christ, the Messiah of God, His Chosen One! The soldiers also ridiculed and made sport of Him…” (Luke 23:35,36a).

The Garments of the Messiah were to be gambled for

Contrary to popular paintings depicting Jesus wearing a loincloth as He hung on the cross, He most likely hung there absolutely naked, as the soldiers gambled for His inner and outer garments beneath the cross. This exquisite detail of David’s prophecy is a highlight of the amazing accuracy of his prophetic picture of the crucifixion scene in Psalm 22.

Prophecy: “They part my clothing among them, and cast lots from my raiment (a long shirt-like garment, a seamless undertunic)” (Psalm 22:18).

Fulfillment: “…Then the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus took His garments and made four parts, one share for each soldier, and also the tunic (the long shirt-like undergarment). But the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom throughout. So they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots to decide whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the Scripture, They parted My garments among them and for My clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things” (John 19: 23-24).

The Messiah would be publicly gazed and gaped at

Prophecy: “I can count all my bones; (the evildoers) gaze at me” (Psalm 22:17).

“…just as many were astonished at Him…” (Isaiah 52:14b).

Fulfillment: “Then they sat down there and kept watch over Him” (Matthew 27:36).

“Now the people stood by, (calmly and leisurely) watching” (Luke 23:35a).

The Messiah would be deserted by God

The face of God was turned–not so much from His Only Begotten Son in Whom He delighted, but in all the sin of all humanity who has ever lived, piled up on one Person. He literally took our sin and made it His sin. He totally identified with it, and took all upon Himself, as if He, Himself was the one who did it. All of the world’s rebellion, arrogance, cowardliness, hatred, and hypocrisy were piled on Him. The sight was so filthy that God turned His head away. Surely this was the pinnacle of the suffering which Jesus endured on the cross.

Prophecy: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1).

Fulfillment: “Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

The Messiah would agonize with thirst

Prophecy: “(With thirst) my tongue cleaves to my jaws” (Psalm 22:15).

“They also gave me gall (poisonous and bitter) for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar (a soured wine) to drink” (Psalm 69: 21).

“My throat is parched” (Psalm 69: 3).

Fulfillment: “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished (ended), said in fulfillment of the Scripture, I thirst” (John 19: 28).

“They offered Him wine mingled with gall to drink, but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it” (Matthew 27: 3 4).

“And one of them immediately ran and took a sponge, soaked it with vinegar (a sour wine), and put it on a reedstaff and was about to give it to Him to drink” (Matthew 27:48).

The Messiah would commit His Spirit to God

Prophecy: “Into Your hand I commit my spirit;” (Psalm 31:5).

Fulfillment: “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit! And with these words, He expired” (Luke 23:46).

The Messiah’s friends would stand far off

Prophecy: “My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my neighbors and my near ones stand afar off” (Psalm 38:11).

“You have put my (familiar) friends far from me; You have made me an abomination to them. I am shut up and cannot come forth” (Psalm 87:8).

Fulfillment: “And all the acquaintances of (Jesus) and the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched these things” (Luke 23:49).

The Messiah’s bones would not be broken

This symbolic prophecy likens Jesus to the Passover Lamb of Exodus. This lamb was to be “without blemish,” “a male,” and without any bones broken. After being slaughtered, it’s blood was to be applied to the doorposts of the houses of the Israelites, to prevent the destroyer from killing their firstborn.

Today, the blood of Jesus does for us, what the blood of the passover lamb foreshadowed. As we apply His blood to our “forehead” and “hands” (the top and sides of the door posts) we also, are protected from the Destroyer, and from the Second Death.

Prophecy: “…Neither shall you break a bone of it” (Exodus 12: 46).

“They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any bone of it; according to all the statute for the passover they shall keep it” (Numbers 9:12).

Fulfillment: “But when they came to Jesus, and they saw that he was already dead, they did not break His legs…For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled (verified, carried out) Not one of His bones shall be broken” (John 19: 33,36).

The state of the Messiah’s heart

“Jesus literally died of a broken heart. Not only was it punctured by the soldier’s sword thrust, but the extreme mental and spiritual torture was so great that His heart was ruptured before the point of the sword pierced it. Appearance of the blood and water indicated that the lymphatic fluid apparently had separated from the red blood, producing ‘blood and water.’” (From “All The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible” by Herbert Lockyer, Zondervan, page 156).

Prophecy: “I am poured out like water…my heart is like wax, it is softened (with anguish), and melted down within me” (Psalm 22:14).

Fulfillment: “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came (flowed) out of it” (John 19:34).

“This is He who came by (with) water and blood…” (1 John 5:6).

The Messiah would be hid from a gaping crowd by darkness

Prophecy: “And in that day, says the Lord God, I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the broad daylight time” (Amos 8:9).

Fulfillment: “Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over the all the land until the ninth hour (three o’clock)” (Matthew 27:45).

The Messiah would be buried with the rich

Normally, the Roman custom was to throw the corpses of the crucified to wild roaming dogs. However, the body of Jesus was spared this fate, as one of His secret disciples, wealthy Joseph of Arimathea received special permission to bury his body in his own tomb.

Prophecy: “And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death…” (Isaiah 53:9).

Fulfillment: “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given him. And Joseph took the body and rolled it up in a clean linen cloth used for swathing dead bodies, and laid it in his own fresh (undefiled) tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a big boulder over the door and went away (Matthew 27:57-60).

The Messiah would die a voluntary, substitutionary death

Prophecy: “…He poured out His life unto death, and He let Himself be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore (and took away) the sin of many…(Isaiah 53:12b).

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement needful to obtain peace and well being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole….All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light on Him the guilt and iniquity of us all…My Servant (shall) justify and make many righteous–upright and in right standing with God; for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt (with the consequences, says the Lord)” (Isaiah 53:5,6,11).

“I gave My back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

Fulfillment: “I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd risks and lays down his (own) life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

“..I lay down My own life to take it back again. No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily” (John 10: 8).

“Just as the Son of man came not to be waited on but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many–the price paid to set them free” (Matthew 20:28).

“He personally bore our sins in His (own) body to the tree (as to an alter and offered Himself on it), that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The Messiah would not be bound to the power of death

Prophecy: “For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the place of the dead), neither will You suffer Your holy one to see corruption (Psalm 16:10).

“O Lord, You have brought My life up from Sheol (the place of the dead); You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (the grave)” (Psalm 30:3).

Fulfillment: “And going to into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting (there) on the right (side), clothed in a (long, stately, sweeping) robe of white, and they were utterly amazed and struck with terror. And he said to them, Do not be amazed and terrified; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth Who was crucified. He is risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him” (Mark 16: 5-6).

“For this reason He says also in another Psalm, You will not allow Your Holy one to see corruption–to undergo putrefaction and dissolution (of the grave)” (Acts 13:35).

The Messiah would destroy the power of death for others

Prophecy: “Your dead shall live, O Lord; the bodies of our dead (saints) shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” (Isaiah 26:19).

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt and abhorrence” (Daniel 12:2).

“O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where are your destructions?” (Hosea 13:14).

“He will swallow up death in victory–He will abolish death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it” (Isaiah 25:8).

Fulfillment: “Jesus said to her, I am (Myself) the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in–adheres to, trusts in and relies on–Me, although he may die, yet he shall live” (John 11:25).

“(It is that purpose and grace) which He now has made known and has fully disclosed and made real (to us) through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ Who annulled death and made it of no effect, and brought life and immortality–that is, immunity from eternal death–to light through the Gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

“And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this (that was) capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished, forever) in and unto victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).

“…(Jesus) suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God (to us sinners) He might experience death for every individual person…He (Himself) in a similar manner partook of the same (nature), that by (going through) death He might bring to nought and make of no effect him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the (haunting) fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives” (Hebrews 2:9,14b,15).

The Messiah would be raised on the third day

There is much “third-day” typepology in the Old Testament, that points to the third-day resurrection of the Messiah. Three is the number of divine perfection.

Prophecy: “After two days He will revive us–quicken us, give us life; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before Him” (Hosea 6:2).

“Now the Lord had prepared and appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17).

“Jesus answered them, Destroy (undo) this temple and in three days I will raise it up again” (John 2: 19).

“For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12: 40).

“…they will put Him to death; and when He is killed, after three days He will rise (from death) (Mark 8:31b).

Fulfillment: “But on the first day of the week at early dawn (the women) went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had made ready. And they found the stone rolled back from the tomb. But when they went inside they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And while they were perplexed and wondering what to do about this, behold, two men in dazzling raiment suddenly stood beside them. And as (the women) were frightened and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among (those who are) dead? He is not here, but He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be given over into the hands of sinful men (that is, men whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God), and be crucified, and on the third day rise (from death). And they remembered His words, and having returned to the tomb, they reported all these things (taken together) to the eleven apostles and to all the rest” (Luke 24:1-9).

“Then He (thoroughly) opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures, And then He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ, the Messiah, should suffer and on the third day rise from (among) the dead” (Luke 24:45-46).

The Messiah would ascend to heaven

Prophecy: “You have ascended on high. You have led away captive a train of vanquished foes;” (Psalm 68:18).

Fulfillment: “So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

“And it occurred that while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven” (Luke 24:51).

“And when He had said this, even as they were looking (at Him), He was caught up, and a cloud received and carried Him away out of their sight” (Acts 1:9).