This post unfolds the incredible interplay between Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillment in the New Testament through Jesus' crucifixion. Every detail—from His anguished cry echoing Psalm 22 to the piercing of His hands and feet and the division of His garments—reveals a plan of God set in motion long before time began. As Revelation 13:8 (KJV) declares, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," and what 1 Peter 1:19-20 (KJV) affirms, "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." These powerful scriptures underscore that every aspect of Jesus' passion was not by chance, but the deliberate fulfillment of prophecy, giving us a display of God’s love and His eternal redemptive plan to save mankind.
The Prophetic Blueprint
From Old Testament to the Cross
Jesus’ passion was no random event—it was the culmination of prophecies written long before Jesus was walking the earth. Here’s how the scriptures connect:
Cry of Abandonment
Old Testament Prophecy: (Psalm 22:1, ESV): “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
New Testament Fulfillment: (Matthew 27:46, ESV): “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’”
Thought: In His moment of deep anguish, Jesus echoes the cry from Psalm 22, emphasizing that His suffering was foreordained.
Piercing and the Division of Garments
Old Testament Prophecy: (Psalm 22:16, ESV): “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” and (Psalm 22:18, ESV): “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (John 19:23-24, ESV): “When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.’”
Thought: The vivid imagery of piercing and the division of garments from Psalm 22 reflects the reality of crucifixion and demonstrates how prophecy was deliberately fulfilled.
The Suffering Servant
Old Testament Prophecy: (Isaiah 53:5, ESV): “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (1 Peter 2:24, ESV): “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Thought: Isaiah’s depiction of a suffering servant comes alive in Jesus’ sacrificial death, offering a promise of healing and redemption and spoken of in Peters epistle.
Recognition Through Piercing
Old Testament Prophecy: (Zechariah 12:10, ESV): “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, whenever he is humbled.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (John 19:37, ESV): “And again another Scripture says, ‘They will look on him whom they have pierced.’”
Thought: The act of piercing is not just physical—it is a prophetic sign fulfilling the promise of recognition and mourning as foretold in Zechariah.
Offered Sour Wine
Old Testament Prophecy: (Psalm 69:21, ESV): “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (Matthew 27:48, ESV): “Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink.”
Thought: The sour wine given to Jesus mirrors the bitter suffering described in Psalm 69, underlining the precision of the events of the crucifixion of Jesus.
His Silent Suffering
Old Testament Prophecy: (Isaiah 53:7, ESV): “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (Matthew 27:12-14, ESV): “But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ And he gave him no answer, not even a word, so that the governor was greatly amazed.”
Thought: Jesus’ silence in the face of false accusations perfectly reflects the quiet submission described in Isaiah, highlighting the depth of His sacrifice.
Being Counted with Transgressors
Old Testament Prophecy: (Isaiah 53:12, ESV): “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (Luke 23:32-33, ESV): “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.”
Thought: Being crucified between two criminals fulfills the prophecy of being “numbered with the transgressors,” underlining Jesus’ identification with fallen humanity.
Burial with a Rich Man
Old Testament Prophecy: (Isaiah 53:9, ESV): “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (Matthew 27:57-60, ESV): “Now from the vicinity of the place there was a rich man, named Joseph, who had also come to testify. He was a disciple of Jesus. When he had taken his body, he wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb.”
Thought: Jesus’ burial in the tomb of a rich man powerfully fulfills this prophecy, reinforcing the planning and depth of God’s redemptive work for humanity.
Unbroken Bones
Old Testament Prophecy: (Psalm 34:20, ESV): “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (John 19:33-36, ESV): “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs... This was to fulfill the Scripture, ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’”
Thought: The detail of unbroken bones in Jesus’ death highlights that every detail of the crucifixion was carefully orchestrated.
Betrayal by a Close Friend
Old Testament Prophecy: (Psalm 41:9, ESV): “Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (John 13:18, ESV): “I speak not of you all; I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’”
Thought: This prophecy foretells the betrayal by Judas Iscariot—a close friend whose actions were an integral part of God’s larger redemptive design.
Rejection and Suffering
Old Testament Prophecy: (Isaiah 53:3, ESV): “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
New Testament Fulfillment: (John 1:11, ESV): “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”
Thought: Jesus’ rejection by His own people fulfills the ancient prophecy of a despised and rejected servant, underscoring the intentional nature of His suffering.
Beyond the Prophecy: A Call to Faith
From the piercing of His hands and feet to His silent endurance, every moment of Jesus’ passion testifies to the flawless execution of God’s redemptive plan. As Revelation reminds us, all who dwell on the earth will ultimately recognize the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The seamless fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the crucifixion of Jesus provides an unshakeable foundation for faith. It calls us to reflect on God’s profound love and meticulous planning, inspiring us to live boldly in the hope of eternal redemption.
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