Breaking Down The Numbers: How Many Prophecies Did Jesus Fulfill?

The prophets of God penned more than 300 prophecies concerning the life of our Savior, serving as a beacon for mankind to identify the Messiah. These forecasts from the Old Testament predominantly predicted the birth of Jesus, along with his death and resurrection[1]. Consider the monumental task of accurately forecasting countless pivotal moments in world history before they ever occurred! This stands as evidence that the Bible is divinely inspired, showcasing God’s ultimate authority.

According to mathematician Peter Stoner, author of the book Science Speaks, the mathematical probability of fulfilling just eight prophecies out of hundreds by one person would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power. Mathematically speaking, the possibility of a person fulfilling more than 300 prophecies is unimaginable and impossible. Only Jesus can fulfill the Bible prophecy, for He is the Son of God and God Himself.

How Many Prophecies Did Jesus Fulfill?

No one can really tell the exact number, but the general consensus is that Jesus fulfilled around 300 messianic prophecies during His earthly ministry. This number represents the prophecies that directly reference the coming Messiah.

God Promised That The Messiah Would Be Born Of A Virgin

Isaiah 7:14: All right then, the Lord Himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel—God is with us.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 1:23: The virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son, and He will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).

The Messiah Of Israel Will Be Born In Bethlehem

Micah 5:2: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 2:1: Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem.

A Messenger Will Precede Messiah (John The Baptist)

Malachi 3:1: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 3:3: 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.'”

For 30 Pieces Of Silver, A Friend Will Betray Jesus

Zechariah 11:12–13: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 26:14–15: 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.

Jesus’ Hands And Feet Will Be Pierced, And He Will Die Of Crucifixion

Psalms 22:14–16: My life is poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within Me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of My mouth. You have laid Me in the dust and left Me for dead. My enemies surround Me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on Me. They have pierced My hands and feet.

Prophecy fulfillment in John 19:15–16: “Away with Him,” they yelled. “Away with Him – crucify Him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate gave Jesus to them to be crucified.

The Messiah Will Cry Out To His Father Like David Did

Psalm 22:1: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 27:46: 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?”

The Messiah Will Be Silent Before His Accusers When Falsely Accused

Psalm 35:11: Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 26:60: But they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last, two came forward.

The Messiah Will Enter Jerusalem Riding A Donkey

Zechariah 9:9: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in Luke 19:35–37: So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for Him to ride on. Then the crowds spread out their coats on the road ahead of Jesus. As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of His followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

The Messiah’s Own People Will Scorn And Reject The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 53:3: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 26:3–4: At that same time, the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.

The Suffering Servant Will Be Buried In The Grave Of A Wealthy Man

Isaiah 53:9: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in Matthew 27:60: 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.

The Suffering Servant Will Die For Our Sins

Isaiah 53:7: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in John 1:29: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The Messiah Would Be Referred To As Jacob

Numbers 24:17: I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob, and a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab’s people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.

Prophecy fulfillment in Luke 3:23–34: Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli... the son of Jacob.

God Promised Jesus Would Be David’s Descendant And Would Rule Forever

Jeremiah 23:5: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”

Prophecy fulfillment in Luke 1:32: He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.

David Will Return To Shepherd His People And That Shepherd Is Jesus

Ezekiel 37:24: My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to follow my decrees.

Prophecy fulfillment in John 10:11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The Messiah Will Plead For God’s Forgiveness For Those Who Persecuted Him

Isaiah 53:12: 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.

Prophecy fulfillment in Luke 23:34: And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Evidence Of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecies From Other Sources

Despite Jesus fulfilling the prophecies in the Old Testament, the Jews during His time still rejected Him. Even after proclaiming He is the beloved Son of the everlasting Father, many were still skeptical. Jesus said He was the Messiah and only Son numerous times in the Scriptures.

• My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27–28)
• No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down and the authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. (John 10:18)
• 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. (Matthew 5:17)
• I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. (John 11:25)

In the present time, there are still those who question this truth. When God said He would send His servant as the light to Gentiles to bring salvation to the whole world (Isaiah 49:6), how sure are we that the Lord is referring to Jesus? Are there other accounts that can attest to Jesus Christ being the Messiah?

In the book Antiquities of the Jews, Flavius Josephus—a 1st-century military leader and Roman-Jewish historian—wrote a section about Jesus of Nazareth called Testimonium Flavianum. Apart from the Bible, this is one of the most credible existing pieces of evidence of the historical authenticity of Christ.

“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.

He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct to this day.”

Other sources include a Roman official sealing Jesus’ tomb to keep people from stealing His body and spreading fake resurrection claims. Furthermore, the world’s greatest soldiers guarded the grave under the threat of death if they failed to do so properly. Nonetheless, the burial chamber was discovered empty, with His wrappings neatly organized. Lastly, we cannot deny that many people saw Him alive after His supposed demise.

Summary

The Bible is permeated with prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ to establish the New Covenant. Hence, Christians deemed the New Testament the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The number of prophecies Jesus fulfilled remains uncertain. We can all agree, nevertheless, that over 300 fulfilled prophecies are still astounding. No man can ever achieve what Jesus did.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.” Our mighty God gave us these prophecies and the Holy Spirit to grow in faith and know Jesus, our Savior. May God bless us with the strength and wisdom to walk the path leading to our deliverance through Christ.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Prophets Foretold The Coming Of Jesus?

Multiple prophets foretold the coming of Jesus, with various prophecies in the Old Testament pointing towards his arrival.

How Many Times Did Jesus Predict His Death?

Jesus predicted his death several times throughout the Gospels, indicating his awareness of his impending crucifixion.

Who Is The Long Awaited Messiah?

Jesus Christ is the long-awaited Messiah, as referred to in Christian and Jewish texts.

How Many References Does Jesus Have In The Old Testament?

Jesus is referenced numerous times in the Old Testament, with many verses seen as foreshadowing his life and mission.