The Old Testament contains many prophecies that Christians believe Jesus fulfilled. They include His birth to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), His family line from Judah and David (Genesis 49:10), His healing ministry (Isaiah 35:5-6), His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12), His pierced hands and feet (Psalm 22:16) and His resurrection (Psalm 16:10). Jesus Himself said all things "written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me" must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44).
On the first Easter Sunday, two discouraged disciples walked toward Emmaus, and the risen Jesus joined them without being recognized. Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Later they said their hearts burned within them. That Bible study is the heart of this page. Hundreds of years before Bethlehem, the Hebrew Scriptures described a coming King, Prophet, Servant and Sufferer. Some prophecies are direct predictions, like the birthplace in Micah 5:2. Others are patterns and pictures that the New Testament writers saw completed in Jesus, like the Passover lamb whose bones were not broken. Counts vary widely, from about 50 to over 300, depending on how you count. The twelve King James verses below are grouped by His coming, His ministry and His suffering. During Advent, they remind us that Christmas was not an accident. It was a promise kept. For the best-known birth prophecies, see also Bible verses about Advent and the nativity Scriptures.
Prophecies about His coming and birth
1. Genesis 49:10
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."
As Jacob blessed his sons, he said the sceptre, the symbol of royal rule, shall not depart from Judah... until Shiloh come. Shiloh has been understood since ancient times as a name for the Messiah, the one to whom rule belongs. Kings came from Judah, including David, and the New Testament presents Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David (Revelation 5:5). The prophecy narrowed the family line almost two thousand years before Bethlehem.
2. Deuteronomy 18:18
"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."
God promised Moses, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee. Israel waited for this Prophet for centuries. When people saw Jesus feed the five thousand, they said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world (John 6:14), and Peter preached that this promise was about Jesus (Acts 3:22). Like Moses, Jesus led a rescue, gave God's word and stood between God and the people.
3. Psalms 2:7
"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."
Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Psalm 2 is a royal psalm about God's chosen King, and the New Testament applies this verse to Jesus three times: at His resurrection (Acts 13:33) and in Hebrews to show He is greater than the angels (Hebrews 1:5; 5:5). At Jesus' baptism the Father's voice echoed it: Thou art my beloved Son (Mark 1:11). The coming King would not only be David's son. He would be God's Son.
4. Haggai 2:7
"And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts."
When the second temple was rebuilt, older people wept because it was so much smaller than Solomon's. Haggai promised that the desire of all nations shall come, and God would fill this house with glory. Christians have long read this as a Messiah prophecy, and it inspired the Advent hymn line about the Desire of nations. Jesus came to that very temple as a baby, when Simeon and Anna welcomed Him (Luke 2:27-38). The glory arrived in person.
Prophecies about His life and ministry
5. Isaiah 42:1
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles."
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him. This is the first of Isaiah's Servant Songs. Matthew quotes this passage word for word as fulfilled in Jesus' quiet, gentle ministry (Matthew 12:17-21). The phrase in whom my soul delighteth sounds like the Father's words at the baptism, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17), when the Spirit came down on Jesus like a dove.
6. Isaiah 35:5-6
"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."
Isaiah pictured the day God comes to save: the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the deaf hear, the lame man leap as an hart, and the mute sing. When John the Baptist sent from prison asking whether Jesus was really the One, Jesus answered with this kind of list: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk... the deaf hear (Matthew 11:5). His miracles were signs that the promised time had come.
7. Zechariah 11:12
"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."
In a strange acted parable, Zechariah's wages as a shepherd were thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32). God called it sarcastically a goodly price that I was prised at (Zechariah 11:13), and the silver was thrown to the potter in the temple. Centuries later Judas agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), threw them down in the temple, and the priests bought the potter's field (Matthew 27:3-10).
8. 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."
The Servant says, 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. At His trial Jesus was spit on and struck (Matthew 26:67), and later scourged (John 19:1). Notice the words I gave. This was not a defeat that happened to Him against His will. Jesus said of His life, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself (John 10:18).
Prophecies about His suffering and death, fulfilled
9. Psalms 22:16
"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."
David wrote Psalm 22 about a thousand years before Christ, and long before Rome made crucifixion common: they pierced my hands and my feet. The psalm opens with the words Jesus cried from the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). It describes mocking, thirst and pierced hands and feet, and it ends in victory. Many readers think Jesus quoted the first line to point to the whole psalm.
10. Psalms 22:18
"They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."
They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. John tells us the soldiers at the cross divided Jesus' clothes into four parts, but His coat was seamless, so they gambled for it instead, that the scripture might be fulfilled (John 19:23-24). The soldiers had no idea they were acting out a psalm. Even the smallest, most careless details of that day were held inside God's plan.
11. Psalms 34:20
"He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. The Passover lamb was to be eaten without breaking any bone (Exodus 12:46). At the cross the soldiers broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus, but when they came to Him He was already dead, so they pierced His side instead. John says this happened so the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken (John 19:36). Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
12. Luke 24:44
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."
After His resurrection Jesus told the disciples that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Those three sections cover the whole Hebrew Bible. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45). Prophecy is not a puzzle for experts. It is God showing, across many centuries, that Jesus is the center of the whole story.
A short prayer
Faithful God, You promised a Saviour long ago, and You kept every word. Thank You for sending Jesus at just the right time, through the family of Judah and David, to heal, to suffer and to rise again. Open my understanding as You opened the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. When I wonder whether You will keep Your promises to me, remind me of Bethlehem and the empty tomb. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Read the prophecies day by day with the free Advent reading plan · Trace prophecy and fulfillment in the SOAP Bible Study Journal · Read the whole story from Genesis to Revelation with the free Bible reading tracker
Frequently asked questions
How many prophecies did Jesus fulfill?
Lists range from about 50 to more than 300. The difference comes from method: some count only direct predictions, like the birthplace in Micah 5:2, while others include patterns and types, like the Passover lamb or the bronze serpent (John 3:14). Either way, the New Testament writers saw the whole Old Testament pointing forward to Christ. For more, see Bible verses about the rapture, where prophecy about Christ's return still looks ahead.
What are the prophecies about Jesus' birth?
The best known are a virgin conceiving a son called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), birth in Bethlehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2), a child born and a son given with names like The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), a descendant of David (Isaiah 11:1) and a messenger preparing His way (Malachi 3:1). Matthew quotes several of these in his first two chapters. See The Christmas story in the Bible.
Which prophecies about Jesus are still unfulfilled?
Christians believe the prophecies of His first coming were fulfilled, and those about His return and eternal kingdom are still ahead. Examples include every knee bowing (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10), the Son of man coming with the clouds (Daniel 7:13) and a world with no more tears (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4). The angels promised that Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11).
Did Jesus say the Old Testament was about Him?
Yes, more than once. He told religious leaders, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). On the Emmaus road He explained Moses and all the prophets about Himself (Luke 24:27), and He did the same for the disciples later that day (Luke 24:44-45). Reading the Old Testament with Jesus in view is a great Advent habit. Try the free Advent reading plan.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Advent · Faithfulness of God · Christ's return · Resurrection of Jesus · The cross · Jesus is God · Christmas · Salvation
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