Introduction
The Messiah’s purpose on earth was made clear in the Old Testament. He would come to do the will of God.
Old Testament Prophecy
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come-
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.” [Psalm 40:7-8 NIV]
Introduction
The Old Testament prophesies, and the New Testament confirms, that the Messiah would have complete authority from God.
Old Testament Prophecy
Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession. [Psalm 2:8 NIV]
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet: [Psalm 8:6 NIV]
New Testament Fulfillment
Introduction
We all know Jesus as the Son of God. That title was prophesied in the Old Testament thousands of years prior to his birth.
Old Testament Prophecy
He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. [2 Samuel 7:13-14 NIV]
I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’” [1 Chronicles 17:13-14 NIV]
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father. [Psalm 2:7 NIV]
Introduction
A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the prophecy that the Messiah would become a sacrificial lamb. This week, we will examine the prophecy that the Messiah would also be a shepherd to his people.
Old Testament Prophecy
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young. [Isaiah 40:11 NIV]
Introduction
Thousands of years before Christ’s death on the cross, the Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would bring salvation.
Old Testament Prophecy
Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The LORD looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him. [Isaiah 59:15-16 NIV]
I looked, but there was no one to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm worked salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me. [Isaiah 63:5 NIV]
One of the most convincing pieces of evidence of the supernatural origin of the Bible comes in the form of prophecies included in the text. In my own spiritual journey, it was these prophecies given by God, and their ultimate fulfillment, that ultimately convinced me that Bible was inspired by God and was accurate and reliable. Due to that, the prophecy of the Bible holds a special place for me.
Let’s look at some background information this week. John F. Walvoord, in The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, explains that there are 1,013 prophecies in the Bible including 574 in the Old Testament and 439 in the New Testament. 342 of those prophecies have not yet come true because they deal with heaven or the second coming of Christ. Of the remaining 671, 668 of those prophecies were historically fulfilled. The other 3, while not proven wrong, cannot be historically verified. That means that not one of the hundreds of prophecies written throughout the Bible has proven to be incorrect. While the exact count of prophecies in the Bible sometimes varies, the fact of the matter is that not one of them has proven incorrect, and this is strong (I would argue) irrefutable proof of the supernatural origin of the Bible.
Now, when you talk about prophecy, many people think of Jean Dixon or Nostradamus and types of predictions they make. To the contrary, the prophecies of the Bible are oftentimes very specific and even include detailed explanations hundreds of years before events unfolded in history. For anyone to predict the future with 100% accuracy requires supernatural revelation. It is no wonder then that the Bible uses prophecy as a test for whether or not something comes from God.