Bible scholars agree that the Old Testament includes many prophecies about the person, life, and character of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Details about Jesus, foretold hundreds and thousands of years before he lived, are extraordinary examples of God’s sovereignty. Many people are interested to know how many prophecies Jesus fulfilled.
Jesus fulfilled between 200 and 400 prophecies depending on how the term is defined. There are over 200 prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament that reference a specific detail about Jesus, like where he would be born (Mic. 5:2). There are many more that make allusions to his life in general.
Did Jesus see himself in the Old Testament? What are examples of prophecies regarding Jesus’ birth, ministry, and miracles? What are examples of prophecies about his betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and many others.
Also see Is Jesus Coming Back Soon? to learn more.
Did Jesus see himself in the Old Testament?
There is no doubt that when Jesus read the Old Testament he saw himself in its pages. Luke 24:27 reads, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (ESV).
The description of “Moses and all the Prophets” is synonymous with what Christians refer to as “the Old Testament.”
The Greek word translated “interpreted” (ESV), “expounded” (KJV), or “explained” (NIV, NASB) is diermeneuo and it’s where English gets the word “hermeneutics.” In biblical studies, hermeneutics refers to the science of interpreting Scripture.
Jesus showed his disciples how the Old Testament — from its beginning (the writings of Moses) to its end (the writings of the Prophets) — is about him.
Bible scholar Darrell Bock is one of the most prominent experts on the writings of Luke today. In his explanation of Luke 24:27, he mentions two types of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. The first are those that explicitly reference Jesus’ life. The second are those that are more general in nature.
“Jesus appeals to two types of prophetic fulfillment. Texts that are directly prophetic refer only to Jesus, while typico-prophetic texts reflect patterns that Jesus enacts and escalates to show their fulfillment or their eschatological inauguration at a new level.” [1]
When it comes to the question, “How many prophecies did Jesus fulfill?” the answer, in part, depends on the type of prophecy being considered.
- When it comes to prophecies that reference Jesus’ life directly, the low-end estimate is around 200 and the high-end is over 300.
- When it comes to all prophecy types combined, the high end can reach up to 400 according to scholarly estimates.
Also see Was Jesus Christ Perfect? to learn more.
Examples of how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy
Below readers will find over 50 different examples of how Jesus fulfilled prophecy in the writings of Moses, in the Major and Minor Prophets, and in all the Scripture in between them.
1. Jesus would be born of the seed of a woman
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15) | “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” (Gal. 4:4) |
2. Jesus would be born of a virgin
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa. 7:14) | “But knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matt. 1:18-25; v. 25) |
3. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2) | “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.” (Matt. 2:1) |
4. Jesus would be called the Son of God
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (Psa. 2:7) | “And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17) |
5. Jesus would be called the Seed of Abraham
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 22:18) | “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16) |
Also see What Personality Type Was Jesus Christ? to learn more.
6. Jesus would be called the Son of Isaac
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.” (Gen. 21:2) | “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.” (Luke 3:23) |
7. Jesus would be called the Son of Jacob
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” (Num. 24:17) | “Jesus …being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph… the son of Jacob” (Luke 3:23, 34) |
8. Jesus would be from the Tribe of Judah
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Gen. 49:10) | “Jesus …being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph… the son of Judah…” (Luke 3:23, 33) |
9. Jesus would be from the line of Jesse
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” (Isa. 11:1) | “Jesus …being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph… the son of Jesse” (Luke 3:23, 32) |
10. Jesus would be from the line of David
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” (Jer. 23:5) | “Jesus …being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph… the son of David” (Luke 3:23, 31) |
Also see Does Jesus’ Middle Name Start With H? to learn more.
11. Jesus would be presented with gifts
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!” (Psa. 72:10) | “And going into the house, [the wise men] saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.’ (Matt. 2:11) |
12. Jesus as an infant would be targeted for death
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.” (Jer. 31:5) | “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.” (Matt. 2:16) |
13. Jesus existed before the incarnation
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2) | “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17) |
14. Jesus would be Lord
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.'” (Psa. 110:1) | “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) |
15. Jesus would be Immanuel
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa. 7:14) | “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” (Matt. 1:23) |
16. Jesus would be a prophet
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” (Deut. 18:18) | “And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.'” (Matt. 21:11) |
17. Jesus would be a priest
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'” (Psa. 110:4) | “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.” (Heb. 3:1) |
Also see Did Nicodemus Follow Jesus? to learn more.
18. Jesus would be a judge
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.” (Isa. 33:22) | “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 5:30) |
19. Jesus would be a king
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” (Psa. 2:6) | “And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.'” (Matt. 27:37) |
20. Jesus would have a special anointing
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isa. 11:2) | “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.”(Matt. 3:16) |
21. Jesus would have a special zeal for God
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.” (Psa. 69:9) | “And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.” (John 2:15-16; v. 15) |
22. Jesus would have a special forerunner
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'” (Isa. 40:3) | “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” (Matt. 3:1-2; v. 1) |
23. Jesus’ ministry would start in Galilee
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” (Isa. 9:1) | “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17, cf. v. 12) |
24. Jesus’ ministry would include miracles
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” (Isa. 35:5-6; v. 5) | “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” (Matt. 9:35) |
25. Jesus would teach in parables
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old.” (Psa. 78:2) | “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.” (Matt. 13:34) |
26. Jesus would enter the temple
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Mal. 3:1) | “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.” (Matt. 21:12) |
Also see Was Jesus Christ A Nazarite? to learn more.
27. Jesus would enter Jerusalem on a donkey
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9) | “And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.” (Luke 19:35-37; v. 35) |
28. Jesus would be rejected by some Jews
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Psa. 118:22) | “So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (1 Pet. 2:7) |
29. Jesus would be a light to Gentiles
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isa. 60:3) | “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47) |
30. Jesus would ascend into heaven
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.” (Psa. 68:18) | “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9) |
31. Jesus would sit at the right hand of God
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psa. 110:1) | “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:3) |
32. Jesus would be betrayed by a friend
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” (Psa. 41:9) | “Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Matt. 10:4) |
33. Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Then I said to them, If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them. And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.” (Zech. 11:12) | “And said, What will you give me if I deliver him over to you? And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.” (Matt. 26:15) |
34. The silver used to betray Jesus would be thrown into God’s house
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’ —the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.” (Zech. 11:13) | “So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.” (Matt. 27:7) |
Also see What Did Jesus Christ Teach? to learn more.
35. Jesus would be forsaken by his disciples
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.” (Zech. 13:7) | “Then everyone deserted Him and fled.” (Mark 14:50) |
36. Jesus would be accused by false witnesses
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.” (Psa. 35:11) | “But they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward.” (Matt. 26:60) |
37. Jesus would be silent before his accusers
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isa. 53:7) | “But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.” (Matt. 27:12) |
38. Jesus would be wounded and bruised
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “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.” (Isa. 53:5) | “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.” (Matt. 27:26) |
39. Jesus would be smitten and spit upon
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” (Isa. 50:6) | “Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him.” (Matt. 26:67) |
40. Jesus would be mocked
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads.” (Psa. 22:7) | “And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt. 27:29) |
41. Jesus’ hands and feet would be pierced
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” (Psa. 22:16) | “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.” (Luke 23:33) |
Also see Why Did Jesus Fast for 40 Days? to learn more.
42. Jesus would be crucified with thieves
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “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; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isa. 53:12) | “Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.” (Matt. 27:38) |
43. Jesus would pray for his persecutors
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “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; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isa. 53:12) | “And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments.” (Luke 23:34) |
44. Jesus would be rejected by his own people
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “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.” (Isa. 53:3) | “For not even his brothers believed in him.” (John 7:5) |
45. Jesus would be hated without cause
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore?” (Psa. 69:4) | “But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: They hated me without a cause.” (John 15:25) |
46. People stared at Jesus on the cross
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me.” (Psa. 22:17) | “And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” (Luke 23:35) |
47. People cast lots for Jesus’ garments
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (Psa. 22:18) | “When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.” (John 19:23) |
48. Jesus would suffer from thirst on the cross
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psa. 69:21) | “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.'” (John 19:28) |
Also see How Old Was Jesus When He Started His Ministry? to learn more.
49. Jesus would be offered gall and vinegar
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psa. 69:21) | “They offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.” (Matt. 27:34) |
50. Jesus would cry out to the Father
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psa. 22:1) | “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'” (Matt. 27:46) |
51. Jesus’ bones wouldn’t be broken when he was crucified
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” (Psa. 34:20) | “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.” (John 19:33) |
52. Jesus’ side would be pierced
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “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, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10) | “But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” (John 19:34) |
53. There would be darkness over the land when Jesus died
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “And on that day, declares the Lord God, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” (Amos 8:9) | “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” (Matt. 27:45) |
54. Jesus would be buried in a rich man’s tomb
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.” (Isa. 53:9) | “and placed [Jesus’ body] in his own new tomb that he [i.e. Joseph Arimathea] had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matt. 27:57-60; v. 60) |
55. Jesus would rise from the dead
| Prophecy | Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Psa. 16:10) | “He foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:31) |
Also see Did Jesus Have a Last Name? to learn more.
References:
[1] Darrell Bock. Luke 9:51-24:53. BECNT. p. 1918.
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