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The Messiah is mentioned in several books of the Old Testament, but these were not just mere descriptions of a potential savior that would be sent by God. The Old Testament includes numerous prophecies about the Messiah. The fascinating thing is that many of these prophecies were fulfilled, and we can find evidence of this in several books of the New Testament. According to these biblical accounts, it looks like Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah.
MESSIAH WOULD BE BORN OF A WOMAN
The prophecy that the Messiah would be born human can be found in Genesis 3:15. Matthew 1:20 and Galatians 4:4 confirm this. The latter reads "[...] God sent his Son, born of a woman [...]"
MESSIAH WOULD BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM
Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus, and this was prophesized in the Old Testament, more specifically in Micah 5:2, which reads: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." The location of Jesus' birthplace is then confirmed in Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-6.
MESSIAH WOULD BE BORN OF A VIRGIN
Mary as a virgin and the mother of Jesus is described in the Old Testament in Isaiah 7:14, which reads "[...] The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son [...]." The prophecy is then fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23 and Luke 1:26-31.
MESSIAN WOULD COME FROM THE LINE OF ABRAHAM
Both Genesis 12:3 and Genesis 22:18 mention this. The latter reads "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Matthew 1:1 then confirms this in the Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah. And so does Romans 9:5.
MESSIAH WOULD BE A DECENDENT OF ISAAC
Genesis 17:19 mentions that the descendants of Isaac will carry an everlasting covenant with God. Genesis 21:12 also touches on this subject. Luke 3:34 then confirms the ancestry of Jesus as "the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor."
MESSIAH WOULD BE A DECENDENT OF JACOB
Numbers 24:17 says that "A star will come out of Jacob." Matthew 1:2 gives us the fulfilment of the prophecy.
MESSIAH WOULD COME FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
"The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his," reads Genesis 49:10. Luke 3:33 calls Jesus "the son of Judah," and Hebrews 7:14 confirms this.
MESSIAH WOULD BE HEIR TO KIND DAVID'S THRONE
2 Samuel 7:12-13 and Isaiah 9:7 prophesized this. The latter reads "[...] He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom [...]." Luke 1:32-33 says that "The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David," and Romans 1:3 confirms Jesus' ancestry to King David.
MESSIAH WOULD SPEND A SEASON IN EGYPT
"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son," reads Hosea 11:1. Matthew 2:14-15 in the New Testament confirms it: "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'"
A MASSACRE OF CHILDREN WOULD HAPPEN AT MESSIAH'S BIRTHPLACE
Jeremiah 31:15 foresees the massacre of the innocents, and the fulfilment of the prophecy is then confirmed in Matthew 2:16-18. The prophecy was as follows: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
A MESSENGER WOULD PREPARE THE WAY FOR MESSIAH
Isaiah 40:3-5 says that "the glory of the Lord will be revealed." And this indeed happened, as described in Luke 3:3-6: "He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet."
MESSIAH WOULD BE REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE
Both Psalm 69:8 and Isaiah 53:3 prophesized how Jesus would be "despised and rejected by mankind" (quoting the latter). Then, in the New Testament, John 7:5 states: "For even his own brothers did not believe in him."
MESSIAH WOULD BE A PROPHET
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him," reads Deuteronomy 18:15. A prophecy that was confirmed in Acts 3:20-22.
MESSIAH WOULD BE DECLARED THE SON OF GOD
Psalm 2:7 reads: "I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, 'You are my son; today I have become your father.'" Then in Matthew 3:16-17, following Jesus' baptism, God says: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
MESSIAH WOULD BRING LIGHT TO GALILEE
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned," reads Isaiah 9:1-2; a prophecy confirmed in Matthew 4:13-16.
MESSIAH WOULD SPEAK IN PARABLES
Both Isaiah 6:9-10 and Psalm 78:2-4 ("I will open my mouth with a parable") mention this prophecy. The prophecy is confirmed in Matthew 13:34-35, and Jesus explains why he speaks in parables in Matthew 13:10-15.
MESSIAH WOULD BE SENT TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED
"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted," can be read in Isaiah 61:1-2. The fulfillment of this prophecy is described in Luke 4:18-19.
MESSIAH WOULD BE A PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK
While "Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest," (Hebrews 5:5-6) God's message was there in Psalm 110:4: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
MESSIAH WOULD BE BETRAYED
Psalm 41:9 reads: "Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned[a] against me." This topic is also covered in Zechariah 11:12-13. Both Luke 22:47-48 and Matthew 26:14-16 described the betrayal of Judas.
MESSIAH WOULD BE FALSELY ACCUSED
"Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about," reads Psalm 35:11. And then we find "some stood up and gave this false testimony against him" in Mark 14:57-58.
MESSIAH WOULD BE SPAT UPON AND STRUCK
Isaiah 50:6 reads: "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Then Matthew 26:67 confirms it: "They spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him."
MESSIAH WOULD BE HATED WITHOUT CAUSE
Both Psalm 35:19 and Psalm 69:4 confirm this. The latter reads: "Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head." John 15:24-25 details the fulfillment of the prophecy.
MESSIAH WOULD BE CRUCIFIED WITH CRIMINALS
Isaiah 53:12 mentions this, as well as Matthew 27:38 ("Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left,"). We see this again in Mark 15:27-28.
MESSIAH WOULD BE GIVEN VINEGAR TO DRINK
Psalm 69:21 reads, "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst." Matthew 27:34 and John 19:28-30 confirm it: "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips."
MESSIAH'S HANDS AND FEET WOULD BE PIERCED
"Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet (Psalm 22:16). Zechariah 12:10 also mention this prophecy. John 20:25-27 then confirms its fulfillment.
MESSIAH WOULD BE BURIED WITH THE RICH
Isaiah 53:9 mentions that Jesus was "assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." Matthew 27:57-60 confirms it.
MESSIAH WOULD RESURRECT FROM THE DEAD
The resurrection of Jesus is mentioned in both Psalm 16:10 and Psalm 49:15. In the New Testament, this is confirmed in both Matthew 28:2-7 and Acts 2:22-32.
MESSIAH WOULD ASCEND TO HEAVEN
The ascension of Christ was prophesized in Psalm 24:7-10, and later confirmed in the New Testament in both Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:51, the latter which reads: "While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into Heaven."
MESSIAH WOULD BE SEATED AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND
Both Psalm 68:18 and Psalm 110:1 mention this prophecy. The latter reads: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Then Mark 16:19 says: "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into Heaven and he sat at the right hand of God." In addition, Matthew 22:44 also makes reference to this prophecy.
MESSIAH WOULD BE A SACRIFICE FOR SIN
The prophecy can be found in Isaiah 53:5-12, part of which reads: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities." Romans 5:6-8 confirms the fulfilment of this prophecy. "Christ died for the ungodly [...] God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Sources: (Learn Religions) (Diocese of Westminster)
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