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We worship a God who has proven Himself faithful to His Word. When he makes a proclamation, we can trust it to be true. His nature is always Holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-loving, kind, merciful, good, forgiving, faithful, and merciful. He can never do anything that conflicts with His attributes. He shows us His faithfulness by showing undeserved love and mercy when humans choose to sin. It was God’s plan forever to pay the price for sin, which is eternal death.
Throughout the Old Testament, God made it clear that Jesus, the Messiah, would come to earth and restore His relationship with all who believed in Him. He chose prophecies to settle any doubt that we might have about the death and resurrection of Christ. These messianic prophecies were made hundreds, sometimes thousands of years before Jesus Christ was born. Jesus, God’s Son, is without sin and, therefore, the only person who has ever walked this earth to fulfill every prophecy about our Savior’s life, death, and resurrection. From Genesis to Malachi, there are over 300 specific prophecies detailing His virgin birth, His birth in Bethlehem, His birth from the tribe of Judah, His lineage from King David, His sinless life, and His atoning work for the sins of His people, His death and resurrection is documented in the prophetic Scriptures long before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred in history.
The first prophecy about Jesus in the Bible is Genesis 3:15. This prophecy came after Satan, a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve by questioning God’s character. They chose to believe Satan, who told them that they would become “gods” if they followed him. The judgment for disobeying God is eternal death. But God, in his great mercy, foretold thousands of years before it happened that His Son would overcome Satan to save the world.
“So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:14,15).
Jesus’ birth was foretold.
Genesis 22:18 (1445 BC) – All the nations would be blessed through Abraham’s offspring
Jeremiah 23:5-6 (630 BC) – Jesus would be from the line of David
Micah 5:2 (750 BC) – Jesus would be born in Bethlehem
Isaiah 7:14 (800BC) – Jesus would be born from a virgin
Isaiah 9:6-7 – A child would be born, and the government would be on his shoulders
Psalm 72:10 (1010-930 BC) – Jesus would be worshiped and given gifts at his birth
Jesus’ life was foretold.
Psalm 40:6-8 – Jesus would be the perfect sacrifice
2 Samuel 7:12-13 (1000 BC)– Jesus’ Kingdom would be eternal
Isaiah 9:1-2 – (800 BC)The ministry of Jesus would begin in Galilee
Isaiah 40:3-4 – Jesus’ ministry would be preceded by a voice calling in the desert
Isaiah 53:3 – Jesus would be despised and rejected
Isaiah 61:1 – Jesus would be the anointed on to proclaim good news to the poor
Zechariah 9:9 (600BC)– The King would come riding on a donkey
Zechariah 11:13 – Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
Jesus’ death and resurrection were foretold.
Exodus 12:21-23 (1446 BC)– Jesus would be the Passover Lamb
Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12 – None of Jesus’ bones would be broken.
Leviticus 17:11 538 to 332 BC)– Jesus would die and pour out his blood for the atonement of sins.
Psalm 22:1 – Jesus would be forsaken.
Psalm 22:8 – Jesus would be mocked.
Psalm 22:15 – Jesus’ mouth would be dry.
Psalm 22:16 – Jesus’ hands and feet would be pierced before there was any such thing as crucifixion.
Psalm 22:18 – Lots would be cast for Jesus’ clothes
Psalm 31:5 – Jesus would commit his spirit to God
Psalm 68:18 – Jesus would ascend to heaven
These fulfilled prophecies could not have been manufactured in any way. There is more proof that Jesus Christ died on the cross and was raised again to pay the price for your sins than any other event in the history of the world. No one has been able to disprove the existence of Jesus: His birth, His life, and His death, nor His resurrection. All of them could have only been fulfilled by the one who is righteous, faithful, and sovereign over all of creation, God incarnate, Jesus Christ. Through the study of prophecy, we have proof of the Bible being the inerrant word of God, with the security of knowing that Jesus is who He said He is: ” I am the way, the truth and the life!” (John 10:10)