Jesus’ Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy
Description | NT Reference | Prophetic Passage(s) Cited/Fulfilled |
The virgin birth | Isa 7:14 (LXX) | |
The Messiah originating from Bethlehem | ||
The holy family escapes to Egypt | ||
The massacre of the infants | ||
The holy family settles in Nazareth | No clear OT referent; possibly alluding to Isa 11:1, or to the OT concept of a Nazirite (e.g., Judg 13:5, 7; 16:17; 1 Sam 2) | |
John the Baptist as precursor to Jesus | Combines elements of Mal 3:1; Isa 40:3; and Exod 23:20 | |
Jesus settles in Capernaum, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali | ||
Jesus claims to fulfill the Law and the Prophets | No specific OT referent | |
Jesus’ ministry of healing and exorcism | ||
Jesus appeals to Isaianic prophecy as proof that he is the “one who is to come into the world” | Matt 11:4–6; compare John 6:14 | Likely based on Isa 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1–2 |
John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus | Based on Mal 3:1 | |
The secrecy of Jesus’ ministry | ||
Jesus offers the sign of Jonah | Jesus here refers to the story of Jonah more broadly rather than to a specific prophetic quote | |
The reason for Jesus’ parabolic teaching | ||
More prophetic support for Jesus’ parabolic teaching | ||
Jesus sitting on a donkey’s colt | ||
“Blessed is he (or, the king) who comes in the name of the Lord” | ||
The suffering death of the Son of Man at the hands of Gentiles, and the resurrection | “the prophets” | |
The betrayal of the Son of Man | No clear OT references | |
The desertion by the disciples | ||
Jesus’ violent arrest | “the scriptures of the prophets” | |
The chief priests use Judas’ abandoned blood money to purchase a field | Matthew attributes the quote to Jeremiah (possibly thinking of both Jer 18:1–3 and 32:6–15), though the text is a paraphrase of Zech 11:13 | |
The mistreatment of the Son of Man | No clear OT references Perhaps based partly on Ps 22:7 | |
The rejection of Jesus | ||
Jesus presents himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies | Combines elements of Isa 61:1–2; 58:6 | |
Jesus counted as one of the criminals | Based on Isa 53:12 | |
The resurrected Jesus interprets scripture with reference to Himself | No clear OT reference | |
“everything that is written about me … must be fulfilled” | “the law of Moses and the prophet and psalms” | |
Jesus, the one about whom Moses and the prophets wrote | No explicit OT reference | |
The cleansing of the temple | ||
Moses wrote about Jesus | No explicit OT reference | |
Jesus is the prophet like Moses | ||
The Messiah is descended from David, and from Bethlehem | ||
Authorities deny that scripture predicts a prophet from Galilee | No explicit OT reference | |
The rejection of Jesus | ||
Hatred of Jesus | ||
Roman soldiers divide Jesus’ clothes and cast lots for his tunic | ||
The Messiah must rise from the dead | No explicit OT reference | |
Christ’s death took place according to God’s plan | Here “plan” may allude to prophetic fulfillment, i.e., that God’s plan concerning Christ is discernible in the OT | |
Christ’s resurrection was spoken of by David | ||
The Messiah’s resurrection | ||
God, through the prophets, foretold the suffering of the Messiah | Referring back to the proof-texts in Acts 2:23–31 | |
Gentile authorities stand against the Messiah | ||
Philip teaches the Ethiopian eunuch that Isaianic prophecy refers to Jesus | ||
The prophets testify to Jesus and forgiveness of sins through his name | “the prophets” | |
Jesus the savior from the seed of David | No specific OT reference | |
The death of the Messiah | “the prophets and Moses” in Acts 26:22 | |
The Messiah’s resurrection and protection from corruption | ||
The gospel promised beforehand in the scriptures | “through his prophets” | |
The righteousness of God through faith in Christ is attested by the Law and the Prophets | “the law and the prophets” | |
The Deliverer from Zion | ||
“Christ did not please himself” | ||
Christ became a servant of the Jews so that Gentiles would come to glorify God | Ps 18:49; Deut 32:43 (LXX); Ps 117:1; Isa 11:10 (LXX) | |
“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures” | No specific OT reference | |
Christ became a “life-giving spirit” as a natural development from the fleshly Adam | ||
Christ became a curse | See Gen 12:3; Deut 27:15–26; 28:15–68 | |
God’s Son was temporarily made “a little lower than the angels” | ||
The Messiah’s death and resurrection | “the prophets” |
About Faithlife Study BibleFaithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text. |
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