Jesus, the Messiah

Compiled by the Rev. Dr. Kevin Yoho • December 1, 2002

A Few of the more than 300 references to the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus.

T
o establish his Messiahship, the New Testament writers appealed to two areas of Christ’s life. One was the
resurrection. The other was how Jesus fulfilled messianic prophesy. There are more than 300 references to
the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. I have included 24 prophecy pairs with the text taken from the
New International Version of the Bible.
The Old Testament was written over a 1,500 year period and was completed by 450 B.C. The mostly
Hebrew language Old Testament was translated into Greek by the Jews of the Dispersion in 250 B.C. Many of
the Old Testament references are clearly messianic, while others are known to be messianic by two means: Either
they are directly quoted in the New Testament or are plainly stated as to fulfill Scripture, or the historical Jewish
sources, all pre-dating Jesus’ birth, regarded them as messianic. We must keep in mind that the Old Testament
was written in a particular historical context so that every passage, including messianic prophecies, first had an
immediate, historical meaning in the time in which it was written and second, in the case of messianic prophecy,
a prophetic element that was to ultimately to be fulfilled in Jesus. It is incredible that hundreds of years before
Jesus birth, God was bringing to pass his redemption plan in the words.

Luke 24:44-48 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with
you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the
Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand
the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and
rise from the dead on the third day,and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses
of these things.

Acts 10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

All the references quoted below were fulfilled in Jesus Christ and they establish a wonderful con-
firmation of Jesusʼ credentials as the promised Messiah. Makes you think. Gives you pause.
Encourages your faith. Elicits worship and praise!

1. Born of a woman
Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will
crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Gal. 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,

2. Born of a virgin
Isa. 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.
Matt. 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be mar-
ried to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Matt. 1:24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took
Mary home as his wife.
Matt. 1:25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name
Jesus.

3. Son of God
Ps. 2:7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son ; today I have become your
Father.
Matt. 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.”
 Jesus, the Messiah
Compiled by the Rev. Dr. Kevin Yoho • December 1, 2002
A Few of the more than 300 references to
the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus.

4. Son of Abraham
Gen. 22:18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Matt. 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Gal. 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to
seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.

5. Son of Isaac
Gen. 21:12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to what-
ever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.
Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son,
so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Luke 3:24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of
Joseph,

6. Son of Jacob
Num. 24:17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise
out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.
Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son,
so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Luke 3:24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of
Joseph,

7. Tribe of Judah
Gen. 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to
whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son,
so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Luke 3:24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of
Joseph,

8 Family line of Jesse

Isa. 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son,
so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Luke 3:32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of
Nahshon,

9. House of David
Jer. 23:5 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King
who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.
Luke 3:23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son,
so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Luke 3:31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of
David,

10. Born at Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans 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. ”
Matt. 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the
east came to Jerusalem
 Jesus, the Messiah
Compiled by the Rev. Dr. Kevin Yoho • December 1, 2002
A Few of the more than 300 references to
the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus.

11. Presented with gifts

Ps. 72:10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will
present him gifts.
Matt. 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the
east came to Jerusalem
Matt. 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down
and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of
incense and of myrrh.

12. Children mourned at time of birth

Jer. 31:15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel
weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”
Matt. 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he
gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in
accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
Matt. 2:17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
Matt. 2:18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

13. Pre-existence
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans 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. ”
Col. 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

14. Called Lord

Ps. 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Luke 20:41 Then Jesus said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?
Luke 20:42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right
hand
Luke 20:43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’
Luke 20:44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

15. Called Immanuel

Isa. 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.
Matt. 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”
—which means, “God with us.”

16. Prophet
Deut. 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his
mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
Matt. 21:11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

17. Priest
Ps. 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of
Melchizedek.”
Hebr. 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the
apostle and high priest whom we confess.
Hebr. 5:5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said
to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. ”
Hebr. 5:6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
 Jesus, the Messiah
Compiled by the Rev. Dr. Kevin Yoho • December 1, 2002
A Few of the more than 300 references to
the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus.

18. Judge
Isa. 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save
us.
John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not
to please myself but him who sent me.

19. King
Ps. 2:6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
Matt. 27:37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING
OF THE JEWS.

20. Anointed by Holy Spirit

Isa. 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of
counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD —
Matt. 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was
opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
Matt. 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.”

21. Zeal for God

Ps. 69:9 for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
John 2:15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle;
he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
John 2:16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s
house into a market!”
John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

22. Preceded by messenger

Isa. 40:3 A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a
highway for our God.
Isa. 40:4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become
level, the rugged places a plain. (5) And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will
see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Matt. 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
Matt. 3:2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matt. 3:3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the
desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”

23. Ministry begins in Galilee

Isa. 9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the
land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the
sea, along the Jordan —
Matt. 4:12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.
Matt. 4:13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area
of Zebulun and Naphtali —
Matt. 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

24. Ministry of miracles

Isa. 35:5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Isa. 35:6a Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Matt. 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
 Jesus, the Messiah
Compiled by the Rev. Dr. Kevin Yoho • December 1, 2002
A Few of the more than 300 references to
the Messiah that were fulfilled in Jesus.

Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus

D
id you ever notice that Mary and Joseph didn't get to name their son? God named
their son for them. He gave them the name he wanted to for the the Messiah. As you
dig into it, you wonder if for centuries God thought in his mind, “What shall I call the
Savior of the World?” Then, he said, “Jesus.” The word Jesus means, “Jehovah saves” or “The
Lord of Salvation.” I think God chose that name for four reasons:
1. Jesus is an easy name. It's five letters and two syllables. A one-year-old can't say
his own name, but he can say the name Jesus. Jesus in any language, sounds awe-
some.
2. Jesus is an enduring name. There's no name that's better known in the history
of the world.
3. Jesus is an exalted name. Philippians 2:9 says, "Therefore, God exalted Jesus to
the highest place and gave him the name that's above every name."
4. Jesus is an exclusive name. When the angels instructed Joseph before the baby
was born, he said “You shall call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from
their sins. “
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to people by which we
must be saved.
Max Lucado says, “2000 years ago, the all powerful God, the one who specialized in taking that
which is common and making it spectacular, the all powerful God who took a rod and parted the
sea, the all powerful God who took a pebble and killed a giant, the all powerful God who spoke the
universe into existence, said to his angels, " It's time for me to show them my love, and in order to
show my love, I'm going to have to set aside my power.”
He loved us so much that he was willing to become a helpless, powerless baby in a man-
ger. Wow. Now that is something to think about. —Pastor

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

BETHANY CHURCH is a welcoming group of people who are finding hope, forgiveness and joy in Jesus
Christ. We try to reflect God’s justice, loving God and others. We invite those with faith and with doubts
to join us as seekers of God’s amazing love and grace! • OUR TRANSFORMING MISSION is delivering Living
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