Chapter Four
Prophecies Of His Suffering
We will be looking at scriptures in this chapter that speak and foretell the sufferings Jesus endured. His sufferings were prophesied beforehand in the Old Testament, and the New Testament writers made many references to Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus including his sufferings. Jesus himself made references to Old Testament Prophecies of himself, and here are a couple of scriptures from the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus comments about Old Testament Prophecies of himself.
Luke 24:25-27 "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."
Luke 24:44-47 "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. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Peter says in Acts
Paul reasons from Old Testament scriptures concerning Christ. Acts 17:2,3 "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days, reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." See also Acts 26:22,23.
Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered is prophesied in Zechariah 13:7. Jesus quotes from Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31, Mark
Zechariah 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." Notice in this prophecy that the Lord refers to his shepherd as "the man that is my fellow" This implies that the shepherd (Jesus) is equal to the Lord of host who is speaking here. He is equal to God, and strongly reveals the deity of Jesus Christ. The Lord of host himself referring to Jesus as the man who is his fellow several hundred years before Jesus was born.
Matthew 26:31 "Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." Jesus was abandoned by his disciples when he was arrested, and he was left alone to suffer his humiliation. See John 16:32.
The next prophecy was already given in chapter two, but it fits in with the context of his suffering, and I believe this chapter would be incomplete without it, so I will give it again, so the reader can understand the full impact of his suffering.
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."
Lamentations
Micah 5:1 "....they shall smite the judge of
Matthew 27:29-32 "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
Luke 22:63-65 "And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him." See also Matthew 26:67 and Mark 14:65
We should also remember Isaiah 52:14, which was already given in chapter two, and prophesies that his visage (appearance) was marred (disfigured) more than any man. Remember that this implies he was beaten beyond recognition at the hands of Pilot’s soldiers, while being whipped harshly with a whip which had a steel ball with spikes on it, which would rip his flesh to threads as he was being whipped.
The Old Testament Prophets for sure wrote beforehand the sufferings of Jesus Christ, but we should remember that it was the Spirit of Christ in these prophets who revealed the future sufferings of Jesus Christ to them. We should consider what David said on his death bed in 2 Samuel 23:2 "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." Many of the Old Testament Prophecies of the sufferings of Jesus Christ were written in the Psalms, and David wrote many of the Psalms. David was very close to the Lord., and he delighted in his word. It is written in 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22 that David was a man after God’s own heart.
It was the Spirit of Christ who spoke through David in many of the Psalms. Remember that the Spirit of Christ is not subject to time. The Spirit of Christ could feel the sufferings of David, but also feel the sufferings of Jesus Christ, which did not happen until a thousand years later, because all time is as the same time to the Spirit of Christ. Many of the Psalms David wrote reflect the sufferings of David, but also reflect the sufferings of Jesus a thousand years later. We can see the Spirit of Christ echoing through David the suffering of Jesus a thousand years beforehand. Psalm
Zechariah was another prophet who lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born. We can see the Spirit of Christ referring to himself, saying "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced" in Zechariah
Thomas was one of the disciples of Jesus, and Thomas witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus his Lord, and Thomas witnessed his hands and feet being pierced with nails on the cross, but Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus had revealed himself to them after his resurrection, so Thomas had a hard time believing the other disciples, when they told him they had seen Jesus risen from the dead. Thomas made this statement to the other disciples in John 20:25 "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Jesus appeared to the disciples eight days later, and here are the words Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:27 "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Thomas then replied "My Lord and my God". Then Jesus said to Thomas "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Thomas now believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, because he put his hands in the wounds in Jesus hands and side. I wonder how many today believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
John
We can see the Spirit of Christ echoing the sufferings of Jesus in numerous places in the Psalms. The Psalms which were written a thousand years before Jesus was born, so we see the Spirit of Christ echoing through time the agony and humiliation Jesus suffered on the cross. Psalm 22:7,8 "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." This is exactly what happened at the cross of Jesus a thousand years later. Matthew 27:39-43 "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of
Psalm 69:21 "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." This prophecy was fulfilled at the cross in Matthew 27:34 and Matthew 27:48. Matthew 27:34 "They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. Matthew 27:48 "And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink."
Psalm 34:20 "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." This prophecy was fulfilled in John 19:32,33 and skip to verse 36. "Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him, but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:....For these things were done, that scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken."
The interesting thing about his bones not being broken is that the legs of everyone that was crucified during the
Psalm 38:10,11 "My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off."
Matthew 27:55,56 "And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from
Psalm
Psalm 22:1 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This is exactly what Jesus cried out at the cross a thousand years later in Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" See also Mark 15:34 This prophecy in Psalm 22:1 is well regarded as the "Cry" or "Echo" of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), as he cries from the cross echoing through time through the voice of David "My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?"
Jesus suffered a horrible and cruel crucifixion, but he also suffered through much humiliation as he hung on the cross naked in front of his mother and friends. The most agonizing thing he suffered was feeling forsaken by and separated from his Father in heaven, because our sins were laid upon him, and it was our sins his Father in heaven saw as Jesus hung on the cross. He suffered through these things so we would not have to suffer the penalty of our sins. He suffered and died for you and me, so we could have peace with our Father in heaven. He suffered so we could be reconciled to our Creator, and our eternal relationship with him could be restored. This was God’s salvation plan for us, which was prophesied in Isaiah chapter 53 given in chapter two of this book.
John
It should be pointed out that his salvation plan is only effective for those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He died for all, and his salvation is offered to all, but only those who receive him shall receive it. Those who reject him are actually rejecting the Lord’s salvation plan for them. Therefore they shall not receive salvation, because they have rejected it by rejecting the one who died for their salvation. The Father in heaven loves his Son Jesus very much, and he sent his Son here for this purpose, so those who reject Jesus Christ will reap the judgment of God, and scripture makes this very clear.
John
John
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John
The death of Jesus on the cross was surely prophesied beforehand in Old Testament scriptures, but his resurrection from death was also prophesied in Old Testament scriptures. Remember what is written in Isaiah 53:10, where we read the words "he shall prolong his days." This strongly indicates that God would prolong his days by raising Jesus from the dead. Paul refers to the resurrection of Jesus in Acts 13:34, and he continues in verse 35 to quote Psalm
Psalm
Acts
Acts
Jesus was risen from the dead as Old Testament scriptures prophesied he would be, and Acts 1:3 says he showed himself alive by many infallible proofs for a period of forty days. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once. His resurrection was recorded in all four Gospels, and all of them without contradiction. This was not the over imagination or work of deception by his disciples. He was seen alive by over five hundred brethren at one time. His disciples were also cowards who fled and were scattered when the authorities arrested Jesus. This means they fled with fear at a time they all believed he was their Messiah. These same cowardly disciples became courageous martyrs of Jesus Christ after his resurrection. It would not make sense that these cowardly disciples would become so courageous if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, because their spirits would have been crushed at his crucifixion. They all believed he was the Messiah until his crucifixion, but what would they have believed after his crucifixion if he didn’t raise from the dead? Their faith would have been shattered, and the odds these cowards becoming courageous with their faith shattered would be very unlikely. Something had to happen between the time he was crucified and the time these cowardly disciples became courageous martyrs later on. Something happened that restored their faith in their Messiah. Their faith was restored through the resurrection of their Messiah Jesus, which is recorded throughout the New Testament scriptures. It was the resurrection that changed them from cowards to courageous martyrs.
Acts 1:3 "To also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of them things pertaining to the kingdom of God:"
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was burried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, and then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep."
Jesus Christ was seen resurrected and alive by many people, but it should be pointed out that even some of his disciples didn’t believe he was alive until they actually had seen him alive. Thomas who is referred to as doubting Thomas didn’t believe until he put his hands in the wounds of Jesus. This made a believer out of Thomas. Something happened that changed Thomas from a doubting Thomas to a believing Thomas. He saw his Messiah alive with his own eyes, and touched his wounds with his own hands. This evident of the fact that Thomas had seen Jesus alive after his resurrection, and so did all the other disciples as well as over five hundred brethren at one time. There were enough witnesses to his resurrection to satisfy any court in the world today. It was common knowledge in apostolic times.
The Old Testament also prophesied and foretold that Jesus Christ would ascend into heaven. Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8, and he applies it to the ascension of Jesus Christ. Paul is actually speaking about the gifts and grace Jesus would give unto men after his ascension. Jesus actually sent the Holy Spirit after he ascended, and I believe the gifts Jesus gave to men is the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 68:18 "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." I believe this prophecy is implying that Jesus received gifts for men when he ascended into heaven, which were gifts that he had just paid for on the cross. The very gift of our salvation comes quickly to my mind, but the anointed gifts of the Holy Spirit also come to my mind. Notice the phrase "that the Lord God might dwell among men" in this prophecy. This would imply the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in men. The gift of salvation is what reconciles with our Father in heaven, because our sins have been paid for at the cross, and they no longer separate us from God. God’s gift of grace is given to the repented sinner, and the forgiven sinner and God are reunited with the indewlling of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:7-10 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things."
I want to share a passage of scripture from the Psalm 24:7-10. I cannot say with all honesty that this is a prophecy referring to Jesus Christ. I have a hard time finding Bible commentaries or Bible Scholars who will say it is a Messianic prophecy of Jesus Christ, but I have known a few who have applied it to his ascension into heaven. I will ask the reader to not quote me as saying it is, because I just simply do not know the truth or facts about this scripture. This scripture is actually a song the ancient Israelites would sing. There is one truth about this scripture I can say in all honesty. It makes me think of the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven every time I read it, because it refers to the King of Glory, and Jesus Christ would certainly qualify as the King of Glory, so I will share it with you.
Psalm 24:7-10 "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of host, he is the King of Glory. Selah." I think of Jesus ascending into heaven every time I read this, because I picture the gates of heaven being lifted up as Jesus Christ came through them as the King of Glory! Christ also pre-existed in Old Testament times as the Lord of Host before his incarnation into the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, so perhaps it’s a song of his goings forth in times of old, which the last phrase in Micah 5:2 refers to. I have read this scripture for over thirty years, and I have pictured him ascending into heaven every time. I don’t have enough confidence to say it is a prophecy of his ascension, because I can’t find enough Scholars to say it is, so I urge the reader to check it out in various Bible commentaries for themselves. I will say that I would use words very similar to the words in that scripture, if I should ever write a song about the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. I will also leave the reader and any Bible Scholars who shall read this book with a simple little question, which is asked in the song written in Psalm 24:7-10. Who is the King of Glory, if he is not Jesus Christ?
This will conclude this chapter, but there are still many Old Testament prophecies of Jesus Christ. We will be looking at prophecies which refer to the offices Jesus held, and he also still holds. These three main offices are King, Priest, and Prophet. Remember that Jesus Christ means Jesus the Anointed One. Jesus was and is an anointed King, Priest, and Prophet. Acts
Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." We will be looking at a few Old Testament prophesies of the Spirit of God upon him regarding his anointing in the next chapter. We will also be looking a t a few other prophecies which will refer to him as being the seed of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah in chapter six, then prophecies of him being the seed of David in chapter seven. Chapter six will set the stage for his office as King, then we will look deeper into his office as King and the seed of David through prophecies in chapter seven. Remember that each of these offices require the anointing of God, and so we will first begin with those prophecies. The reader should understand that his authority and power in all these offices comes from the fact that he was anointed with the Spirit of God, and there is no higher authority than God himself. It simply means power and authority was given him by the Spirit of God in him or upon him.