Messianic Prophecies about Jesus' Crucifixion

Messianic Prophecies about Jesus' Ministry and Death

Preceded by a Messenger

Prophecy

Fulfillment

Isaiah 40:3: “A voice of one calling: ‘in the desert prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God’”

Malachi 3:1: “‘See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come.’ Says the Lord Almighty.”

Matthew 3:1,2: “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea , and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’”

See also John 1:23 and Luke 1:76-79 and Mark 1:1-4

All four gospel writers identify this text in Isaiah as an allusion to John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ and it is referred to as Messianic in Jewish sources.[11]

Enter Jerusalem on a Donkey

Prophecy

Fulfillment

Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion ! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem ! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Luke 19:29-37: “He [Jesus] sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here’…….They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.”

Also Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, John 12:12-19.

This is the only Messianic prophecy recorded in the gospels deliberately fulfilled by Jesus. It is also linked to the one day and single event when Jesus deliberately drew attention to Himself on what is known as Palm Sunday.[12] Numerous Jewish sources confirm the recognition of this text as Messianic during the time of Jesus.[13]

Sold for Thirty Pieces of Silver

Prophecy

Fulfillment

Zechariah 11:12: “I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.”

Matthew 26:15: “‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”

Also Mark 14:10-11 and Luke 22:3-6.

Thirty pieces of silver was the price of compensation for a slave injured by an ox as specified in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 21:32). A Jewish commentary recognizes this as Messianic,[14] however many do disagree if this points to Judas or whether it is out of context. All synoptic gospels mention Judas received money, but only Matthew tells the price: thirty silver coins.

Garments Parted and Lots Cast

Prophecy	Fulfillment
Psalm 22:18: “They divide My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.”	John 19:23-24: “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’”

Psalm 22 is considered a stunning account of the crucifixion, and we will discuss this in detail later. At first glance the prophecy appears to contradict itself. John’s account of the scene at the foot of the cross explains how Jesus’ clothes were divided, but a seamless undergarment was awarded by the casting of lots.

To Suffer Thirst, Gall and Vinegar Offered to Him

Prophecy

Fulfillment

Psalm 69:21: “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.”

John 19:28: “Later…. Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’”

Matthew 27:34: “There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.”

Also John 19:28-29, Mark 15:23, Luke 23:36.

The details of the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus on the cross are mentioned in all four gospels. In that respect it fits remarkably with the passage from the psalm. Early Jewish sources however, quite understandably, did not recognize this verse to speak of the Messiah.

Bones not broken

Prophecy

Fulfillment

Psalm 34:19-20: “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”

John 19:33: “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.”

Just as with the previous prophecy, this passage was not seen to be Messianic by the Jewish commentators in Jesus’ generation. However, the exact details are quite astounding. For instance, Jesus’ bones were not broken, though the legs of criminals crucified next to Him were broken by the Romans to speed up their death. In order for Jesus to fulfill the requirements of the Mosaic Law to be the perfect Passover lamb, He would have to be “unblemished,” i.e. without physical deformity.[15]

His side pierced

Prophecy	Fulfillment
Zechariah 12:10: “They will look on me, the one they have pierced…..”	John 19:34: “Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear,”

The Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear to make sure that He was indeed dead.

Read on about: (4) Psalm 22 as Messianic prophecy

[11] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1896, edition 2003), Volume 2, page 726 and J.F. Stenning, The Targum of Isaiah (1949), page 130.

[12] More about the importance of this event in when we discuss Daniel’s ‘Weeks of Sevens’ in chapter 24.

[13] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1896, edition 2003), Volume 2, page 736.

[14] Ibid.

[15] See the discussion on The Plan of Redemption in chapter 25.

Back to: Jesus' miracles

(1) Exhibit #3: Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies	(2) Prophecies about Jesus' birth
(3) Prophecies about Jesus' ministry and death	(4) Psalm 22 as Messianic prophecy
(5) Isaiah 53 as Messianic prophecy	(6) Probabilities and objections

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