There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about the First Coming of Christ, but many of these are repetitious. When the repetitious ones are deleted, we are still left with at least 108 specifically different prophecies—all of which were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.

There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about the First Coming of Christ, but many of these are repetitious. When the repetitious ones are deleted, we are still left with at least 108 specifically different prophecies—all of which were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.

A. The Messiah's Lineage

Old Testament Prophecy	Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment
Gen. 9:26	1) From the Shemite Branch of Humanity	Luke 3:36
Gen. 12:3	2) Through Abraham	Matt. 1:1
Gen. 17:21	3) Through Abraham's son, Isaac	Luke 3:34
Gen. 28:14	4) Through Isaac's son, Jacob	Luke 3:34
Gen. 49:8	5) Through the tribe of Judah	Luke 3:33-34
Isa. 11:1	6) Through the family of Jesse	Luke 3:32
Jer. 23:5	7) Through the house of David	Luke 3:31-32

B. The Messiah's Birth and Childhood

Old Testament Prophecy	Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment
Gen. 49:10	1) Timing of birth. According to the Talmud, in about 7 a.d. the Romans removed the power of the Sanhedrin Council in Judah to pronounce the death penalty—thus the sceptre (power) passed from Judah. Jesus had been born in 4 b.c. during the reign of Herod (Matt. 2:1), so “Shiloh” (a Messianic title) had come shortly before the sceptre departed—just as prophesied. Also, once the Jews were expelled from the land by the Romans, all semblance of national autonomy under Judah was gone.
Micah 5:2	2) Place of birth	Matt. 2:1
Isa. 9:6	3) Born in the flesh	Luke 2:11
Isa. 7:14	4) Born of a virgin	Luke 1:34-35
Isa. 7:14	5) Divine name	Matt. 1:21
Ps. 72:10-11	6) Presented with gifts at birth	Matt. 2:1-12
Jer. 31:15	7) Infants massacred	Matt. 2:16
Hosea 11:1	8) Sojourn in Egypt	Matt. 2:14, 15
Isa. 11:1; 53:3*	9) Reside in Nazareth	Matt. 2:23
Isa. 53:2	10) Grow up in obscurity and poverty	Mark 6:3
Isa. 11:1	11) Spirit-filled and anointed from birth	Luke 2:46-47

*Matthew's reference is uncertain. Some believe it is derived from Isaiah 11:1 where the Messiah is referred to as a “neser”—that is, a “branch” of Jesse. For another fascinating possibility, see the second footnote under Zephaniah 1:14.

C. The Messiah's Life and Minstry

Old Testament Prophecy	Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment
Isa. 40:3	1) Preceded by a prophet preparing His way	Matt. 3:1-3
Isa. 42:1	2) Receive a special anointing by the Holy Spirit	Luke 3:22
Gen. 3:15	3) Do battle with Satan	Matt. 4:1
Ps. 91:11	4) Receive the ministry of angels	Mat. 4:11
Isa. 9:1	5) Ministry centered in Galilee	Matt. 4:13
Isa. 42:2	6) Unpretentious ministry	John 6:15
Isa. 53:2	7) Power of ministry not based on personal appearance	Matt. 7:28-29
Ps. 40:9	8) Preacher	Matt. 4:17
Ps. 78:2	9) Teacher in parables	Matt. 13:34-35
Deut. 18:15, 18	10) Prophet	Matt. 21:11
Isa. 33:22	11) Judge	John 5:30
Isa. 11:2	12) Miracle worker	John 3:2
Ps. 109:4	13) Man of prayer	Luke 18:1
Ps. 22:9-10	14) Man whose reliance and trust is in God	John 5:19
Ps. 40:8	15) Man of obedience	John 4:34
Isa. 11:2	16) Man of knowledge, wisdom and understanding	Matt. 13:54
Isa. 11:2	17) Man of counsel	John 3:1, 4
Zech. 9:9	18) Humble in spirit	Phil. 2:8
Ps. 145:8	19) Patient	1 Tim. 1:16
Ps. 103:17	20) Loving and merciful	John 15:13
Ps. 69:9	21) Zeal for God's house in Jerusalem	John 2:14-16
Isa. 61:1-2	22) Proclaim a Jubilee	Luke 4:17-21
Isa. 61:1	23) Preach the Gospel to the poor	Matt. 11:4-5
Isa. 61:1	24) Comfort the broken hearted	Matt. 11:28
Isa. 61:1	25) Proclaim liberty to captives	Luke 4:18
Isa. 42:3	26) Minister to broken lives	Luke 5:30-31
Isa. 53:5	27) Heal the sick	Matt. 8:16-17
Isa. 35:5-6	28) Heal those with special afflictions	Matt. 11:4-5
Ps. 69:4	29) Hated without cause	John 15:24-25
Ps. 69:7-8	30) Despised and rejected by His own people, the Jews	John 1:11
Isa. 29:13	31) Rejected by the Jews due to exaltation of tradition	Mark 7:6-8
Ps. 8:2	32) Praised by babes and infants	Matt. 21:15-16
Isa. 49:6	33) Offered to the Gentiles	John 1:12
Hosea 2:23	34) Accepted by the Gentiles	Acts 28:28

D. The Messiah's Nature

Old Testament Prophecy	Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment
Mic. 5:2	1) Eternal	John 1:1
Isa. 9:6	2) Divine	John 10:30
Ps. 8:5	3) Human	John 1:14
Ps. 2:7	4) Son of God	Matt. 3:17
Dan. 7:13	5) Son of Man	Matt. 8:20
Ps. 2:2	6) Christ, the Anointed One	Luke 2:10-11
Ps. 110:1	7) Lord	John 13:13
Isa. 11:2-3	8) God centered	John 17:4
Isa. 5:16	9) Holy	Heb. 7:26
Isa. 53:11	10) Righteous	Acts 7:52
Ps. 89:1-2	11) Faithful and true witness	Rev. 3:14
Isa. 42:1	12) Servant of God	Phil. 2:6-7
Ps. 23:1	13) Loving shepherd	John 10:11
Isa. 53:7	14) Sacrificial lamb	John 1:29
Isa. 53:4-6	15) Sin bearer	1 Pet. 2:24
Isa. 53:10	16) Guilt offering	Heb. 9:13-14
Isa. 42:6	17) Embodiment of God's Redemptive Covenant	Acts 13:47

E. The Messiah's Death

Old Testament Prophecy	Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment
Dan. 9:25-26	1) Timing of death. The prophecy states that the Messiah will die 69 weeks of years (483 yrs.) after the edict is issued to rebuild Jerusalem. The edict was issued by Artaxerxes in 445 b.c., and 483 lunar years later, Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem.
Zech. 9:9	2) Triumphal entry into Jerusalem	John 12:12-15
Isa. 53:3, 11	3) Experience profound grief and agony	Matt. 26:37-38
Ps. 41:9	4) Betrayal by a friend who would eat with Him	Matt. 26:20-21
Zech. 11:12	5) Betrayal for 30 pieces of silver	Matt. 26:14-15
Zech. 11:13	6) Disposition of the betrayal money	Matt. 27:3, 5-7
Zech. 13:7	7) Forsaken by His disciples	Matt. 26:55-56
Ps. 35:11-12	8) Accused by false witnesses	Matt. 26:59
Isa. 53:7	9) Silent before His accusers;	Matt. 27:14
Isa. 50:6	10) Spat upon	Matt. 26:67
Mic. 5:1	11) Stricken	Matt. 26:67
Isa. 50:6	12) Scourged	Matt. 27:26
Isa. 52:14	13) Face beaten to a pulp	Matt. 27:30
Isa. 50:6	14) Beard plucked. There is no specific recorded fulfillment of this prophecy, but it was likely one of the tortures inflicted upon Jesus by the soldiers
Isa. 50:6 15)	Humiliated	Mark 15:17-19
Ps. 22:15	16) Physical exhaustion	Luke 23:26
Ps. 22:16	17) Crucified	Luke 23:33
Isa. 53:12	18) Identified with sinners	Mark 15:27
Ps. 22:6-8	19) Object of scorn and ridicule	Luke 23:35-39
Ps. 22:15	20) Experienced thirst	John 19:28
Ps. 69:21	21) Given vinegar to drink	Matt. 27:48
Ps. 38:11	22) Friends stand far away	Luke 23:49
Ps. 22:17	23) Stared at	Luke 23:35
Ps. 22:18	24) Clothing divided among persecutors	John 19:23
Ps. 22:18	25) Lots cast for robe	John 19:23-24
Amos 8:9	26) Darkness at noon	Matt. 27:45
Ps. 22:1	27) A cry of disorientation due to separation from God	Matt. 27:46
Ps. 109:4	28) Pray for persecutors	Luke 23:34
Ps. 22:31*	29) Cry of victory	John 19:30
Ps. 31:5	30) Voluntary release of spirit	Luke 23:46
Ps. 34:20	31) No bones broken	John 19:32-33
Zech 12:10	32) Pierced in the side	John 19:34
Ps. 22:14**	33) Death by a broken heart	John 19:34
Isa. 53:9	34) Buried in a rich man's grave	Matt. 27:57-60

*The Phrase, “He hath done this,” literally means, “He has finished it.”

**The separation of the blood and water is a sign of a ruptured heart.

F. The Messiah's Resurrection and Ascension

Old Testament Prophecy	Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment
Ps. 16:10	1) Resurrection	Mark 16:6
Ps. 68:18	2) Ascension	Acts 1:9
Ps. 110:1	3) Exaltation at the right hand of God	Mark 16:19
Ps. 110:4	4) Serve as a High Priest	Heb. 6:20
Ps. 2:1-2	5) Continue to be despised by the nations	xTerm 5:19

This listing has been adapted, with minor changes, from Lamplighter (July/August 1990; vol. xi).