Where are the death and resurrection of Messiah prophesied in Hebrew Scriptures?

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TL;DR:

Jesus fulfilled all of the over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah, many involving His death and resurrection. Because Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, we can trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins.

from the old testament

  • After God created Adam and Eve, they fell prey to Satan's temptation in the Garden of Eden and sinned against their Creator. Even as God handed down judgment for their sin, He gave hope by alluding to One who would "crush" Satan's head (Genesis 3:15). This is the first prophecy of the Messiah, spoken by God Himself.
  • Jesus fulfilled many other prophecies. For example, God promised to establish an everlasting covenant with Abraham in which all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 17:19), which was fulfilled in Jesus. The prophet Isaiah also declared that the promised Messiah would be a descendant of King David and an heir to his throne (Isaiah 9:7).
  • Isaiah 53 details the suffering, rejection, and atonement of the Messiah, emphasizing His role as a willing sacrifice for the sins of humanity. It speaks of Him being "despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3), foreshadowing His rejection by the Jewish leaders and His crucifixion. The prophecy also describes His substitutionary atonement, bearing the sins of many, as "he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5).
  • Many Old Testament prophecies give precise details about Jesus's trial and death. For example, the prophet Zechariah speaks of the 30 pieces of silver Judas took when he betrayed Jesus, and which were later used to purchase a potter's field (Zechariah 11:12–13). Isaiah 53:7 says that Jesus would be silent before His accusers. The same chapter also tells of Jesus's burial place, which was among the rich (Isaiah 53:9 ). In Amos 8:9, we see a foretelling of the darkness that fell over the earth when Jesus died.
  • The Old Testament also records many prophecies of Jesus's resurrection. In Psalm 16:10, the writer, King David, proclaims, "you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." Isaiah 53 also speaks of Jesus's resurrection: "Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). Other prophecies allude to the fact that the resurrected Christ returned to heaven after His resurrection and now rules with God the Father (Psalm 45:6–7; 110:1).

from the new testament

implications for today

The fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus serves as compelling evidence of who He was and what He did. The Bible contains hundreds of specific prophecies concerning the Messiah, ranging from His lineage, birthplace, manner of death, and resurrection. Each of these prophecies is precisely fulfilled in Jesus, demonstrating His unique identity as the Savior of humanity. For instance, Genesis 3:15 predicts a "seed" who will crush the serpent's head, fulfilled in Jesus's victory over sin and Satan. Similarly, Isaiah 53:3–5 foretells His suffering and atonement, which are fully realized in His crucifixion and resurrection (John 19:17–30; Acts 2:23–24).

These prophecies provide strong evidence that Jesus is the only One who could fulfill them, supporting the claims of His divinity. As John 5:39 states, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." The Old Testament Scriptures point directly to Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises, validating His role as both fully God and fully man. The consistent and detailed fulfillment of these prophecies reinforces the reliability of the Bible and the truth of Jesus's identity and mission (Luke 24:44–47; 1 Peter 1:10–12).

understand

reflect

  • How does understanding the specific prophecies about Jesus’s death and resurrection strengthen your faith?
  • What does it mean for you personally that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament?
  • How can the fulfillment of the prophecies regarding the Messiah’s death and resurrection be a source of hope and assurance in your life today?

engage

  • What can we learn about God regarding the prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament?
  • How do these prophecies contribute to our understanding of Jesus’s role as both Savior and King? How would they have impacted the Israelites’ understanding?
  • What does the detailed fulfillment of these prophecies suggest about the reliability and consistency of the Bible’s message?