Baptist Bible Hour

This means “anointed one” and is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered “Messiah”. For thousands of years, the Jewish people looked for a Messiah, as clearly foretold in Scripture.

To scan just a fraction of the prophecies concerning Messiah, he was to be:

1. from the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3);
2. from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10);
3. from the line of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) and David (Jeremiah 23:5);
4. born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Genesis 3:15);
5. born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2);
6. have a star to announce His coming (Numbers 24:17);
7. have a forerunner (Isaiah 40:3);
8. come before the destruction of the Second Temple (Daniel 9:24-27);
9. speak in parables (Psalm 78:2);
10. rejected by the Jews (Isaiah 53);
11. betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12,13);
12. forsaken by His disciples (Zechariah 13:7);
13. enter Jerusalem on a donkey with praise (Zechariah 9:9);
14. silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7);
15. tortured to death (Psalm 22);
16. have lots cast for His garments (Psalm 22:18);
17. have none of his bones broken (Psalm 34:20);
18. have his side pierced (Zechariah 12:10);
19. be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9);
20. be resurrected from the dead (Psalm 16:10);
21. be trusted in by the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:1-4);
22. and ascend into heaven (Psalm 68:18).

Even the most skeptical scholar would have to confess that at the very least 200 years separated these writings and the time of Jesus (because the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, was written 200 years before Christ). Even if you don’t believe some of the prophecies (concerning supernatural workings, etc.), that still leaves many, many prophecies clearly fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Even if we just take 3 of the prophecies—being rejected by the Jews, having a large Gentile following, and being executed before the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.—there is only one man in history that fulfills them. Clearly, Jesus is Messiah.

“The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.” (John 4:25, 26)