1. 4000 B.C. | Jesus would have a mother but not father
- Genesis 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.”
- Fulfillment: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law…” (Galatians 4:4)
2. 1400 B.C. | Jesus’ family line
- Genesis 17:19 – God said, “…your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him…” [not Ishmael]
- Numbers 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.” [not Esau]
- Genesis 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.”
- Fulfillment: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…” (Matthew 1:1–2)
3. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ virgin mother
- Isaiah 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.”
- Fulfillment: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:18–23)
4. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ birth in 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 [eternity].”
- Fulfillment: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria…And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there,
the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1–7)
5. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ sinless life
- Isaiah 53:9 – …he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
- Fulfillment: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:21–22)
6. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ family fleeing to Egypt
- Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”
- Fulfillment: “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son’.” (Matthew 2:13–15)
7. 400 B.C. | Jesus entering the Temple
- Malachi 3:1 – “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.
- Fulfillment: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law…” (Luke 2:25–27)
8. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ way prepared by John the Baptist
- Isaiah 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.”
- Fulfillment: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight”’” (Matthew 3:1–3)
9. 700 B.C. | Jesus performing miracles
- Isaiah 35:5–6 – Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
- Fulfillment: “Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them’.” (Matthew 11:2–5)
10. 500 B.C. | Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey
- Zechariah 9:9 – Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous & having salvation, gentle & riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- Fulfillment: “And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem…And they brought it [the colt] to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near— already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’” (Luke 19:28, 35–38)
11. 1000 B.C. | Jesus’ betrayal by a friend
- Psalm 41:9 – Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
- Fulfillment: “And [Judas] came up to Jesus at once and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you came to do’” (Matt. 26:49–50)
12. 500 B.C. | Jesus’ betrayal for 30 pieces of silver thrown in the Temple
- Zechariah 11:12–13 – …they paid me 30 pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.
- Fulfillment: “Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’And they paid him thirty pieces of silver” (Matt. 26:14–15); “And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.’ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.” (Matthew 27:5–7)
13. 700 B.C. | Jesus beaten and abused
- Isaiah 50:6 – I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.
- Fulfillment: “Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him…” (Matthew 26:67)
14. 1000 B.C. | Jesus’ clothing gambled for
- Psalm 22:18 – They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
- Fulfillment: “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, so they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.’ This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.’ So the soldiers did these things.” (John 19:23–24)
15. 700 B.C. Jesus hated and rejected
- Isaiah 53:3 – He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, & familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, & we esteemed him not.
- Fulfillment: “And those who passed by derided him…So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him…And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way” (Matthew 27:39–44)
16. 700 B.C. | Jesus not defending Himself
- Isaiah 53:7 – He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
- Fulfillment: “But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer” (Matthew 27:12)
17. 1000 B.C. | Jesus’ crucifixion
- Psalm 22:16 – Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
- Fulfillment: “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)
18. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ death with sinners
- Isaiah 53:12 – Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
- Fulfillment: “Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.” (Matthew 27:38)
19. 1400 B.C., 1000 B.C. | Jesus’ bones not broken
- Exodus 12:46 – “Do not break any of the [Passover lamb’s] bones.”
- Psalm 34:20 – …he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
- Fulfillment: “So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken’” (John 19:32–36)
20. 1000 B.C. | Jesus forsaken by God
- Psalm 22:1 – My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
- Fulfillment: “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?’” (Matthew 27:46)
21. 700 B.C. | Jesus’ death
- Isaiah 53:8b – For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
- Fulfillment: “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46)
22. 700 B.C. | Jesus buried with the rich
- Isaiah 53:9 – He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
- Fulfillment: “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.” (Matthew 27:57–60)
23. 1000 B.C., 700 B.C. | Jesus’ resurrection
- Psalm 16:10 – …you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
- Isaiah 53:10–11 – …though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering [death], he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied…
- Fulfillment: “For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” (Acts 2:25–32)
24. 1000 B.C. | Jesus’ ascent into Heaven
- Psalm 68:18 – When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train.
- Fulfillment: “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ . . . He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4:7–10)
25. 1000 B.C. | Jesus seated at the Father’s right hand
- Psalm 110:1 – The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
- Fulfillment: “…he [God the Father] worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet…” (Ephesians 1:20-22)
What are the odds of 8 prophecies being fulfilled?
- Suppose that we take 10 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom. —-Peter Stoner, Professor of Science at Westmont College in his book Science
Jesus is the Center and Hero of the Bible
- Matthew 5:17-18 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
- John 5:39-40 – You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
- Luke 24:27, 44-45 – And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself… Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
