For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:3–4
Let’s take a closer look at some of the many Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. I think you will find them encouraging, knowing that Jesus’ First Coming was prophesied in great detail many hundreds of years before He came. Specifically, Genesis was written before 1400 BC; Micah, Hosea, and Isaiah were written 700 or so years before Christ. All of the Old Testament was written at least 400 years before Christ. You get the point.
It is also helpful to have knowledge of these prophecies for those experiencing “doubting Thomas” moments or to share with those skeptical of our faith. Here is a list of just a small fraction of the specific prophecies about Christ, followed by the Scripture references for both the prophecy and its fulfillment:
HIS BIRTH
- From the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:3)
- Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:5–6)
- Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22–23)
- Called Immanuel (same)
- Would spend a season in Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14–15)
HIS MINISTRY
- Preceded by an “Elijah” (Malachi 4:5–6; Matthew 11:13–14)
- Loved and praised by children (Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:16)
- Would proclaim good news (Isaiah 61:1–2; Luke 4:16–21)
- Spoke in parables (Psalm 78:1–2; Matthew 13:35)
- Praised as He rode a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1–5)
HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION
- Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13; Matthew 27:6–10)
- His clothes divided up by casting lots (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35)
- His body was pierced (Isaiah 53:5; Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)
- Forsaken by God (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46)
- Would be resurrected (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:22–32)
This is just scratching the surface of the Old Testament prophecies dealing with the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. It does not even include the Old and New Testament prophecies about the eventual return of the Messiah.
Take comfort in the fact that God has a sovereign plan that He reveals over time to prophets. They are each given various pieces of the puzzle, as we’ve said. And we, through the compilation of the 66 books in the Bible, are given a comprehensive picture of God’s plan for the Jewish people and for all mankind. We can now look forward to the fulfillment of the prophecies regarding His Second Coming with great anticipation.