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Every Sunday School child knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but his mother lived in a town some 60 miles away, with, at most, a donkey for transportation. It would have been easier for Jesus to have been born in Nazareth, but because the government picked that year to take a census (for tax purposes), the Holy Family was required to make the journey to Bethlehem, and Jesus was born there just as the prophet had said. Return to top of page
According to Matthew, Mary the mother of Jesus had never had a man until after Jesus was born. Even those who deny this usually agree that there was something out of the ordinary about his conception. Early enemies claimed that he was the son of a soldier named Panthera, but nobody simply said he was the son of Joseph and Mary and there was nothing special about it. The fact that they feel they have to explain it in unusual terms reveals that something out of the ordinary had occurred. Return to top of page
Matthew traces the legal descendency of Jesus back to David (Matthew 1:17) through his adoptive father Joseph. Although not a physical descendant of Joseph, Jesus was Joseph's legal heir, and as such was entitled to all the privileges of Joseph's lineage. Luke also traces Jesus' descendency from David, through another path. It appears that Mary, too, was a descendant of David, and, as she had no brothers, was entitled to pass her inheritance on to her son, in her husband's name. Return to top of page
When the Magi came in search of the "King of the Jews," they first went to Herod, assuming they would find the King they were seeking at the palace. Herod determined from the teachers of the Scriptures that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Jealous of this rival king, he ordered all boy babies in that town to be killed. Hearing of this, Joseph took the family away into Egypt. Matthew cites this incident (Matthew 2:13-15) as a fulfillment of Isaiah 11:1. Return to top of page
Jerusalem (after it had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar) -- Daniel 9:25. According to Nehemiah 2:1, such a decree was issued in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, i.e., 445 B.C. Calculating 434 years from that time would put us at 9 B.C. According to Compton's Encyclopedia, the birth of Jesus occurred sometime before 3 B.C. That is certainly close, and I believe if we knew the exact dates, and made proper adjustments for the differences in the calendars, the date would coincide with prophecy exactly. Return to top of page
Mark cites John the Baptist as the fulfillment of these prophecies, and that certainly fits. John lived as a sort of wild man, wearing a coat of camel's hair (rather than the woven cloth of a city man) and ate "locusts and wild honey," i.e., he lived off the land rather than tilling the soil or buying food in the marketplace. He lived and preached in the wilderness. People went out to the wilderness to see him; he did not come into the city.
John claimed to be the precursor of someone greater, "whose sandal-thong I am not worthy to untie" (Mark 1:7). John later claimed Jesus was the someone he had spoken of. (John 1:29-34) Return to top of page
In Bible time, Galilee was the part of the country known for being rather lax in its responsibilities toward God. Religious people of that day might have expected the Messiah to come to Jerusalem, where the temple was and where the great centers of religious learning were headquartered. But the prophet Isaiah here states that God would honor Galilee. Although he was born in Bethlehem (in accordance with prophecy), Jesus' family home was in Nazareth, in the north. It was there that he grew up, and as an adult, he centered his ministry in Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. (Matthew 4:12-16) Return to top of page
When Jesus was born, the angels said they brought "Good news, which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10) There are occasions recorded where Jesus performed miracles for non-Jews, e.g.: the Canaanite woman of Matthew 15:21-28, or the Centurion of Luke 7. Millions of Gentiles have since received the blessing of his redemptive work, as his church spread far beyond its original Jewish constituency. Jesus referred to himself as "the Light of the World" (John 8:12) Return to top of page
A parable is a story of ordinary events used to illustrate a spiritual truth. Jesus used them constantly. (Note Matthew 13, especially verse 35). Return to top of page
None of the Old Testament prophets is ever said to have healed the blind, although they worked other miracles. Healing the blind seems to be reserved for Messiah. Jesus healed blind people on more than one occasion. Particularly notable is one man who was widely known in his community as a man who had been blind from birth (so no one could say he was a plant, placed in the crowd to pretend to be healed). (John 9) This is the man who testified of Jesus "Whether this man is a sinner or not, I don't know. What I do know is once I was blind, now I can see!" John the Baptist once sent some of his disciples to Jesus to ask if he was really the Messiah. Jesus simply told them to go back to John and report what they had seen: the lame could walk, the deaf could hear and the blind could see. That would be enough to remove all doubt. Return to top of page
Until the time was right, Jesus kept a relatively low profile. He healed many sick people, but told them not to tell who he was. (Matthew 12:15-21) Return to top of page
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy one week before his crucifixion. In so doing he identified himself with the promised King of Zion (John 12:12-16), although he made it clear that his kingdom was not of this age. (John 18:36) Return to top of page
52:14, 53:3. As a whole, the Jews of Jesus' day did not accept him. When Pilate offered them their final chance, they opted for Barabbas the thief instead. As John says "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:11) Return to top of page
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, was present at the last supper, and dipped matzah with him. Jesus said at that time that the scripture would be fulfilled: "He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me." (John 13:18-30). Return to top of page
When Jesus was arrested, his disciples fled. (Mark 14:50). Return to top of page
One of the remarkable things about the Gospel accounts of the trial of Jesus is that he did not fight back or argue. When he was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, his disciples attempted to defend him. Jesus told them to put their swords away. (John 18:1-11, Luke 22:47-53) Return to top of page
His enemies wanted him killed, but Pilate, reluctant to crucify a man who had committed no capital offence, at first tried to satisfy the angry mob's blood lust by having him scourged with the infamous cat of nine tails. See Matthew 27:26, John 19:1. Return to top of page
When Jesus was handed over to be crucified, he suffered considerable abuse from the soldiers, which included mockery and spitting. (Matthew 27:30). Return to top of page
A man who had gone through the scourging described in the Gospels would end up looking less like a man than like a carcass. Return to top of page
Jesus was crucified between two thieves. (Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27, Luke 23:32) Return to top of page
Crucifixion involved piercing the feet and hands with nails. To pierce the side would have been unusual, but John 19:31-37 describes how this came about in Jesus' case. Pilate had ordered the legs of the crucifixion victims to be broken in order to hasten death. The soldiers carried out this order on the two thieves, but when they came to Jesus they saw that he was already dead. Perhaps to be doubly sure he was dead, one of the soldiers thrust a spear through his side. After the resurrection, the disciple named Thomas, who had not yet seen the risen Lord and was skeptical, made reference to these marks when he said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands . . . and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later Thomas "looked on him whom they had pierced," (Zechariah 12:10) and believed. Someday, so will all of Israel. Return to top of page
The soldiers divided the belongings of the crucifixion victims among themselves. Luke 23:34 tells us they "cast lots" for Jesus' robe. See also Mark 15:24 "they cast lots to see what each would get." John 19:23,24 also describes this incident and ties it to this prophetic Psalm. Return to top of page
Isaiah said that the Servant (Messiah) would, after his suffering, "see the light of life." It is essential to Christianity that Jesus rose from the dead. Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20 all describe the bodily resurrection of Jesus. If all prophecies fulfilled in Jesus were not enough to convince you that he is the promised Messiah, if all the miracles he performed still left you uncertain, the fact that he was definitely dead and rose again should be the clincher that removes all doubt. Like once-doubting Thomas you can fall down before him and say "My Lord and My God!"
Many may come and claim to be Messiah, but only Jesus fits the prophecies. Is it only by chance? Not likely -- the prophecies are too numerous and to diverse to be fulfilled by chance alone. Did Jesus deliberately arrange his life to satisfy the prophecies? This is also improbable, since many of them refer to his suffering and death, or circumstances beyond human control. (How did he "arrange" to be born in Bethlehem? What kind of madman would want to "arrange" to be crucified among criminals in order to fulfill a prophecy? How did he "arrange" to rise from the dead? Only God could do these things!) My conclusion is that Jesus is indeed the Messiah spoken of by the ancient Hebrew prophets. What do you think?
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