Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus Christ Lesson 3

Starting with this lesson we will be looking at Old Testament prophecies which will reveal Jesus Christ as our Savior, and prophecies that will reflect his suffering on the cross, and we will see through these prophecies the Lord’s salvation plan for us revealed in Old Testament times written hundreds of years before Jesus went to the cross.

The Lord prophesied hundreds of years beforehand what his salvation plan for us would be. Peter was a disciple of Jesus while Jesus was on earth, and Peter spoke about the fact that the Old Testament spoke and prophesied about Jesus hundreds and thousands of years before Jesus was born.

In 1 Peter 1:10-12. Peter refers to the Old Testament Prophets in verse ten, and he wrote how in the Old Testament, that the Prophets testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ in verse eleven, and he explains how the Lord’s salvation plan for us was revealed to the Old Testament Prophets in verse twelve. It was revealed to Old Testament Prophets so they could write about it unto us beforehand, so we would know that the sufferings of Jesus was the Lord’s will, and that he suffered and died for our salvation.

1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into

Also in verse 11 Peter said it was the Spirit of Christ who was in the Old Testament Prophets, and Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, and Messiah means “Anointed One”

So it was the Spirit of the Anointed One who was Divine with Deity, who was prophesying through the Old Testament prophets, telling beforehand the sufferings of Jesus, and it was the Anointed One who was Divine with Deity who pre-existed in Old Testament times, and it was the Anointed One who was Divine with Deity who was incarnated into the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, or shall we say Christ Jesus, or the Anointed Jesus.

Peter also spoke about the Old Testament prophets speaking about the sufferings of Christ in Acts 3:18, and Paul reasons from Old Testament scriptures concerning Christ. In Acts 17:2,3.

Acts 3:18 "But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

Acts 17:2,3 "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days, reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ."

In lesson 1 we learned that in John 5:39 that Jesus said the Old Testament scriptures testified, prophesied, or spoke about him, and in lesson 2 we learned that Jesus taught about Old Testament scriptures that prophesying about him in Luke 24:27.

Now we will look at an Old Testament scriptures speaking and prophesying beforehand about the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

In the first prophecy “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” is prophesied in Zechariah 13:7. Jesus quotes from Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27, and John 16:32. Jesus applies this prophecy to his disciples, who cowardly ran and were scattered, when the authorities arrested Jesus, and "smite the shepherd" pertains to Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones."

Notice in this prophecy in Zechariah 13:7, that the Lord refers to his shepherd as "the man that is my fellow" This implies that the shepherd (Jesus) is equal to the Lord of host who is speaking here. He is equal to God, and strongly reveals the Deity of Jesus Christ. The Lord of host himself referring to Jesus as the man who is his fellow several hundred years before Jesus was born.

Matthew 26:31 "Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."

Jesus was abandoned by his disciples when he was arrested, and he was left alone to suffer his humiliation. See also Mark 14:27 and John 16:32

We need to understand that the Spirit of Christ, who was Divine with Deity, and who appeared throughout Old Testament times wasn’t subject to time, because he created time itself when he created the universe, so he can be apart from time, and look at all time with one glance.

He could see and feel himself on the cross of Jesus hundreds and thousands of years before Jesus was crucified, so we need to understand that in these scriptures, the Spirit of Christ is expressing his suffering hundreds and thousands of years before he suffered through Jesus on the cross.

Isaiah 50:6, Lamentations 3;30.and Micah 5:1 speak about him being smited on the cheek, and Isaiah 5:6 speaks about his hair being plucked, and I believe they were plucking out his hair by either pulling at his beard or sideburns as they blindfolded and mocked him saying who hit you? In Luke 22:64

Isaiah 50:6 "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting."

Lamentations 3:30 "He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach."

Micah 5:1 Now………….they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Micah 5:1 also says it will be the judge of Israel, whom they will smite on the cheek, and Jesus Christ will be the Judge of Israel in the end, and this is a prophecy of Jesus

Also Micah 5:1 is given in the same context as Micah 5:2, which is the verse that follows it, and Micah 5:2 was quoted in Matthew 2:6 as pertaining to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as we learned in lessons 1 and 2.

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Matthew 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Luke 22:63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.

64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?

65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. See also Matthew 26:67 and Mark 14:65

We need to remember that it was the Spirit of Christ in these prophets who revealed the future sufferings of Jesus Christ to them. We should consider what David said on his death bed in 2 Samuel 23:2

2 Samuel 23:2 "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."

Many of the Old Testament Prophecies of the sufferings of Jesus Christ were written in the Psalms, and David wrote many of the Psalms. David was very close to the Lord., and he delighted in his word. It is written in 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22 that David was a man after God’s own heart.

It was the Spirit of Christ who spoke through David in many of the Psalms. Remember that the Spirit of Christ is not subject to time. The Spirit of Christ could feel the sufferings of David, but also feel the sufferings of Jesus Christ, which did not happen until a thousand years later, because all time is as the same time to the Spirit of Christ. Many of the Psalms David wrote reflect the sufferings of David, but also reflect the sufferings of Jesus a thousand years later. We can see the Spirit of Christ echoing through David the suffering of Jesus a thousand years beforehand Psalm 22:16

Psalm 22:16 "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."

The phrase "they pierced my hand and feet" could only apply to Jesus on the cross, because nailing the hands and feet to a cross was a form of crucifixion which was not practiced until later on in history during the Roman Empire. This kind of crucifixion did not happen in David’s time. It cannot apply to David, because David never had his hands and feet pierced.

In Zechariah 12:10. We can see the Spirit of Christ referring to himself, saying "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced".

Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

In John 19:34 and then skipping to John 19:37 says "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there blood and water...... And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced."

So John applied the prophecy from Zechariah 12:10 to Jesus Christ on the cross.

Revelation 1:7 referring to the return of Jesus Christ says "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

Thomas was one of the disciples of Jesus, and Thomas witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus his Lord, and Thomas witnessed his hands and feet being pierced with nails on the cross, but Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus had revealed himself to them after his resurrection, so Thomas had a hard time believing the other disciples, when they told him they had seen Jesus risen from the dead. Thomas made this statement to the other disciples in John 20:25

John 20:25 "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Jesus appeared to the disciples eight days later, and here are the words Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:27

John 20:27 "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Thomas then replied "My Lord and my God".

Then Jesus said to Thomas "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Thomas now believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, because he put his hands in the wounds in Jesus hands and side. I wonder how many today believe in the resurrection of Jesus.

We can see the Spirit of Christ echoing the sufferings and humiliation that Jesus suffered on the cross in Psalm 22:7,8

Psalm 22:7,8 "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him."

This is exactly what happened at the cross of Jesus a thousand years later. Matthew 27:39-43

Matthew 27:39-43 "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."

The people mocking him at the cross didn’t understand that Jesus went to the cross willingly. Jesus said in Matthew 26:53 he could have had twelve legions of Angels rescue him if he wanted to, but Jesus was there to give himself up as the offering for sin. He was on the cross so the people mocking him could receive salvation from God. These people mocking him wouldn’t have any hope for salvation if he did come down off the cross, and neither would any of us today have hope of salvation if he did. These people should have been praising him, and so should we.

The Spirit of Christ said in Psalm 69:21 "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." This prophecy was fulfilled at the cross in Matthew 27:34 and Matthew 27:48.

Matthew 27:34 "They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.”

Matthew 27:48 "And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink."

Psalm 34:20 says "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."

This prophecy was fulfilled in John 19:32,33 and then skipping to verse 36.

John 19:32"Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him,33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:....36 For these things were done, that scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken."

The interesting thing about his bones not being broken is that the legs of everyone that was crucified during the Roman Empire were always broken. It was a very strange thing that his legs weren’t broken, so Jesus was an exception to the rule.

During Passover God commanded them not to break the bones of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. The passover lamb was a for shadow of Jesus, who is the Lamb of God, who was slain on the cross during passover week, so God did not allow his bones to be broken like the passover lamb in Exodus 12:46. See also Psalm 22:17

The Spirit of Christ said in Psalm 38:10,11

Psalm 38:10,11 "My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off."

This prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 27:55,56

Matthew 27:55,56 "And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children."

The Spirit of Christ said in Psalm 22:18 "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."

This prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 27:35

Matthew 27:35 "And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots." See also Mark 15:24 and Luke 23:34.

The Spirit of Christ also said in Psalm 22:1 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

This is exactly what Jesus cried out at the cross a thousand years later in Matthew 27:46

Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" See also Mark 15:34

This prophecy in Psalm 22:1 is well regarded as the "Cry" or "Echo" of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), as he cries from the cross echoing through time through the voice of David "My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?"

Jesus suffered a horrible and cruel crucifixion, but he also suffered through much humiliation as he hung on the cross naked in front of his mother and friends. The most agonizing thing he suffered was feeling forsaken by and separated from his Father in heaven, because our sins were laid upon him, and it was our sins his Father in heaven saw as Jesus hung on the cross. He suffered through these things so we would not have to suffer the penalty of our sins. He suffered and died for you and me, so we could have peace with our Father in heaven. He suffered so we could be reconciled to our Creator, and our eternal relationship with him could be restored.

John 19:30 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

The last words of Jesus before he died was "It is finished." His crucifixion and suffering were finished, but we can also interpret the word finished as complete. His work was finished or his work was complete. He had actually finished or completed his salvation plan for us. Our salvation was completed or completely paid for. His purpose for going to the cross willingly was to die for our sins, so his purpose regarding our salvation was complete. It was a finished deal.

This will finish this lesson, but we will be looking at more Old Testament scriptures that will clearly reveal God’s salvation plan us through Jesus Christ in the next lesson.