Prophecies of Christ

OBJECTIVE

To study the prophecies that point to Christ as the hope of the Old Testament fulfilled in the New

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

Read Luke 24:19-27

Memory Verse: And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lk. 24:27).

CONTENT (KEY POINTS)

Introduction to Prophecies

A prophet is not to be understood as a certain person revealing future events, but rather as one through whom God reveals His mind and will concerning man, as well as His plan for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ

The Holy Spirit rested upon and worked with these courageous men so that they may speak boldly regarding sin, repentance, punishment, retribution, salvation, and, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ

Prophets called for sincere repentance, which is the inward turning of the heart towards God and not the superficial practice of the law
Prophets exposed the wrongdoings of religious and civil leaders in order to seek true spiritual care
Prophets revealed near, future, local events which confirmed God's use of these events to chastise the Jews for corruption and lack of trust in Him
Prophets also revealed near, future, local events in order to confirm God's compassion as a result of their repentance
Prophets also spoke regarding far, future events such as the coming of the Messiah, who would set up a kingdom and would be the Savior
The prophets pointed to the fact that God alone is savior, and that salvation is the only subject that should occupy our thoughts

The prophetic books of the Old Testament are comprised of the twelve Minor Prophets and the six books of the Major Prophets

"Major" and "minor" are used to describe the length and breadth of the writing, including the time period and length of the book, so that Major refers to the longer writings and minor to the shorter writings
Although there is a genre dedicated to prophecy in the Old Testament, prophecies are not limited to just those books
- For example, many of the prophecies come from the book of Psalms
Prophecy began as early as Moses the Archprophet, while some scholars consider Adam to be a prophet

Many of the prophecies focus on the life and ministry of Christ (Psalm references here are NKJV)

Born of a Woman (Gn. 3:15; Gal. 4:4)
Descendent of Abraham (Gn. 18:18; Acts 3:25)
Descendent of Isaac (Gn. 17:19; Mt. 1:2)
Descendent of Jacob (Num. 24:17; Lk. 3:34)
Descendant of the Tribe of Judah (Gn. 49:10; Lk 3:33)
Heir of David (Gn. 49:10; Mt. 1:1)
Born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; Mt. 2:1-6)
Birth a Virgin (Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:18-23)
Flight to Egypt (Hos. 11:1; Mt. 2:14-15)
Service in Galilee (Is. 9:1-2; Matt. 4:12-16)
Rejected by the Jews (Is. 53:3; Ps. 2:2; Jn. 1:11)
Entered Jerusalem Victoriously (Zec. 9:9; Is. 62:11; Jn. 12:12-16)
Betrayed (Ps. 41:9; Mk. 14:10)
Sold for Thirty Piece of Silver (Zec. 11:12; Mt. 26:15-16)
Silent before Accusations (Is. 53:7; Ps. 38:13-14; Mt. 27:12-14)
Spat on (Is. 50:6; Mk. 14:65)
Crucified with Sinners (Is. 53:12; Mt. 27:38; Mk. 15:27-28)
Pierced Hands and Feet (Ps. 22:16; Jn. 20:25-28)
Mocked and Insulted (Ps. 22:6-8; Mt. 27:39-40)
Received Vinegar and Bitters (Ps. 69:12; Jn. 19:29)
Pierced Side (Zec. 12:10; Jn. 19:34-37, 20:27)
Divided garments, Cast Lots for Clothing (Ps. 22:18; Mk. 15:24; Jn. 19:23)
Not One Bone Shall Be Broken (Ps. 34:20; Ex. 12:46; Jn. 19:33)
Resurrection (Ps. 16:2; Hos. 6:1-2; Ps. 3:5; Mt. 28:7)
Ascension (Ps. 68:18; Lk. 24:50-52; Acts 1:9)

In today's lesson, we will look study a few prophecies in depth.

Virgin Birth

When Judah was invaded by Aram and Israel, Ahaz, King of Judah, lost faith in God as protector and instead sought protection from Assyria

God sent Isaiah to Ahaz to proclaim that salvation would not come through human planning or worldly possibilities, but through the exalted work of God and His care for His children

Therefore, God provided a sign to humanity:

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Is. 7:14)

This sign was given as the hope to all mankind, that Christ would take flesh from a Virgin and would renew humanity and save mankind from sin

St. Irenaeus said "Those who proclaimed that He is Immanuel, born from a virgin (Is. 7:14), also proclaimed the union of God with the product of His hands. As the Logos became flesh, and the Son of God became a Son of Man, He gave to humanity, through the purity of the womb, a renewal in God."
St. Ambrose commented "The Lord Christ opened the source of the holy Church, that silent source, blameless, full of fruits, where the people of God are born."
St. Ephrem the Syrian said "Your divine birth, O Lord, has given all humanity a birth. Humanity begot You according to the flesh, and You begot it according to the Spirit. Glory to You, who became a child, to make everything new."
St. Cyril of Alexandria commented "We confirm that the 'Only-Begotten Son' became man so that as He is begotten from a woman according to the flesh, He would reclaim the human race anew in Him."

Some doubted that Christ would be born of a Virgin, and instead tried to translate "Virgin" into "young girl" since their hearts were hard and could not comprehend a birth without the seed of man

St. John Chrysostom, very simply, states that a young girl giving birth wouldn't be a great sign since that event happens every day
Tradition says that an angel appeared to Simon the Elder when he nearly translated the Hebrew "virgin" to the Greek "young woman" for the Septuagint, and the angel told Simon that he would not see death until he had seen Christ born of a virgin

"Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good" (Is. 7:15)

Isaiah confirms the humanity of Christ, that although He is not of man's seed, He truly became man in everything except for sin alone

Since curds and honey was recognized to be the food of infants, this passage is to be properly understood as the young infant growing to be a man through all stages of life

"And the Lord said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut" (Ez. 44:2)

The Church Fathers identify this gate to be the womb of Virgin Mary, which remained shut in its Virginity, yet Christ was incarnate of the Holy Spirit, and her virginity remained sealed

Ministry of Christ

Isaiah prophesied both the ministry of Christ in Galilee as well as the Lord's victorious ministry through the cross:

"Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined" (Is. 9:1-2)

St. Matthew the Evangelist wrote in his gospel "...that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'the land of Zebulun and the land of Nephtali, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people walking in the darkness have seen a great light" (Mt. 4:14-16)

This land is called "Galilee of the Gentiles" since the Jews in the region were a minority with the majority being Phoenicians, Greeks, and Arabs

Jesus Christ, the teacher of humanity and Sun of Righteousness, came to reveal true light to those who were walking in darkness

"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned" (Mt. 4:16)
St. Gregory of Nazianzus says "He dwelt in Galilee, in order to shine a great light on those walking in darkness" and "Let those sitting in darkness of ignorance see the great perfection of knowledge. . . .The letter is no more, the spirit is now dominant. The shadows vanished, and the Truth came to them."

Furthermore, Isaiah prophecies the coming of the Messiah as a Savior, a conqueror, and a Victor

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Is. 9:6)

This prophecy is properly understood to mean that the Son of God shall be incarnate and take flesh to become the Son of Man, thus counted as a child

He takes our humanity, truly and perfectly, uniting to His divinity, without mingling, confusion, or alteration, and is human in all ways but sin alone

The Church recognizes that the expression "and the government will be upon His shoulder" to mean the economy of our salvation, which is through the cross, which is His throne

Origen says, "He reigned on a wood, as said by the Psalmist; the wood of the Cross that He carried on His shoulder as the throne of His divine love."
Origen also says, "The government will be upon His shoulder, as He entered His kingdom through carrying the cross."

He is called "Wonderful," which is a "name above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth" (Pp. 2:9-11)

Origen comments on the adoration of the Church towards the name of Jesus: "Great is the name Jesus, with its effectiveness . . . The name Jesus cures the mentally afflicted, casts away the spirits of darkness, and grants healing to the sick."

He is called the Counselor because He is the Wisdom of God

St. Clement of Alexandria says "The Son is the true Teacher about the Father. We believe in the Son to get to know the Father, with whom is also the Son. Once again, in order to know the Father, we have to believe in the Son, that He is the Son of the Father. Knowledge of the Father and the Son . . . is how we reach the Truth through the Truth."

He is Mighty God because He is true God of true God, of one essence with the Father, and the only one capable of renewing our nature and redeeming us from sin

Suffering and Death of Christ

Psalm 21 LXX (Psalm 22 NKJV)

Our Lord Jesus Christ caused those witnessing the crucifixion along with those who would read the Gospels to draw a strong parallel between His suffering on the cross and its prophecy in Psalm 21 LXX

The Lord cried out, saying, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Ps. 21:1 LXX)

Many Jews at the time were confused and thought He was calling for Elijah (cf. Mt. 27:47)

However, the Lord cried out "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani" (cf. Mt. 27:46) in order to bear witness of the sacred Scripture, offering a prophetic cry in Hebrew, to demonstrate in a plain and intelligible means to the Jews that He was the one of whom the Psalm spoke

It was common practice to simply recite the first line of a psalm or prayer to indicate the praying or call to pray the full prayer.
This practice is still seen today in the Church when psalms are passed out. The person will assign a specific psalm to an attendee by simply stating the first line of the psalm.

The Psalmist prophetically described the condition of the Crucified text, praying:

"But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 'He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him'" (Ps. 22:6-8 NKJV)

The Evangelists wrote details during the Crucifixion that were identical parallels to what was prophesied in the Psalm about the condition of Christ
Those present at the crucifixion passed by and "blasphemed Him, wagging their heads, and saying, 'You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross" (Mt. 27:39-40)
Even the priests, scribes, and elders mocked Jesus, saying, "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (Mt. 27:43)

"I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me" (Ps. 22:14 NKJV)

Here the Psalmist prophetically describes the condition of the Lord on the cross, whose bones are out of joint, being stretched forth on the wood
The Holy Spirit provided the Psalmist with deep spiritual insights as to the mind of the crucified Christ and His condition upon the cross, as to enlighten us with a deeper insight as to the condition of the Lord

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

The Lord called out from the cross and said "I thirst" (Jn. 19:28)

For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet (Ps. 22:16 NKJV)

It is incredible to consider that the Jews, despite this very explicit imagery and parallel, continued to deny that He was Christ, whereas others, seeing these signs, could not help but confess that Jesus was truly the Son of God
Even the public act of crucifixion served as a means of ministry, causing the hearts of many to repent and weep for their sins, including the soldier that pierced the side of Christ

I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots" (Ps. 22:14-18 NKJV)

Furthermore the Psalmist even described those soldiers that cast lots for His clothing
The Psalmist spoke in the first person because this Psalm is not about David, but rather is Christ

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53 demonstrates that prophecy of the Old Testament provides deep insights into the events of the New Testament and confirms that the New must be read in the lens of the Old and vice versa

The Holy Spirit spoke through Isaiah the prophet, revealing that Christ was bruised in order to heal us (cf. Is. 53:5) and humiliated so that judgment may be taken away (cf. Is. 53:8)

Isaiah described that Christ was led as a sheep before the slaughter, and was silent as a lamb before his shearers (cf. Is. 53:7), which was a description of the Lord during His arrest

The power of Scripture is demonstrated insofar that the Ethiopian Eunuch, upon being confounded by these words, thirsted for the truth regarding the meaning of this text (cf. Acts 8)
Philip was led by the Spirit to the chariot where he explained that Christ fulfilled this prophecy
When the darkness surrounding the mystery of the Old Testament was dispelled by the light of Christ, the Eunuch received the truth faith and was baptized by Philip

Resurrection and Ascension

The early church recognized that the Psalms spoke of the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ

Psalm 15 LXX

Peter, in his pentecost sermon, presented the Resurrected Christ, and quoted Psalm 15 LXX to explain that David was speaking of the Lord:

"I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence" (Acts 2:25-28)

Peter explained that David was both dead and buried, and that his tomb was still present in that day, meaning that David could not have been talking about himself since he did not resurrect

Peter pointed out that David was a prophet and was sworn to by God that Christ would be raised from the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, to sit on his throne (cf. Acts 2:30)

Therefore this Psalm regards the resurrection of the Lord, Whose soul was not left in Hades (cf. Acts 2:31-32)

Psalm 23 LXX

Psalm 23 asks "Who shall ascend to the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?" (Ps. 23:3 LXX)

What image is this other than the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ?

The Psalmist prophetically cries out, "Lift up the gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord powerful in battle. Lift up the gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Ps. 23:7-10 LXX)

The Church recognizes this as a prophecy of both the Resurrection and Ascension and recites portions of this during the Reenactment of the Resurrection on the night of that feast

Psalm 109 LXX

Psalm 109 LXX begins by "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies the footstool of Your feet" (Ps. 109:1 LXX)

This is a prophecy regarding the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ
In his Pentecost sermon, Peter quoted this Psalm, explaining once more that David did not ascend into heaven, but rather this Psalm prophetically points to Christ Who has ascended and is seated at the right hand of His Father

From even the time of David, humanity has had great hope that the Lord shall come, take flesh, die, resurrect, free them from hades, and open the gate of paradise so that we may join Him seated at the right hand of the Father

Although these prophecies were not understood at their time, and although the Palmist did not truly understand the hope of the incarnation or the spiritual economy, these images became clear through the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ

APPLICATION (Action)

Consider that the Ethiopian Eunuch could not understand the mystery of the Old Testament without the Light of Christ

Our reading of the Old Testament is not just to acquaint ourselves with the history of the children of Israel, the geography of the old world, or the different people that existed during that time

Our reading of the Old Testament gives us deep insights into the mind of Christ and the will of God, which is the salvation of mankind
Reading the Old Testament with the lens of the New Testament allows us to have a more intimate understanding of the deep love God has towards us

St. Cyril of Alexandria strived to show how to find Christ in the Bible on every page and therefore said that the practical aspect is coming now that you have met Christ

According to blessed Augustine, the "New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New Testament"

The Old Testament and New Testament are all part of one Book which all focuses on our salvation and relationship with God. It's one continuous story

Moreover we see the thoughtfulness of God, that He planned our salvation even from the beginning of time, and that each action within Scripture finds its perfect context in the manifestation of His love and desire for sanctification of our race through our Lord Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit

In like manner our reading of the New Testament is deepened since we understand that the actions of Christ are calculated for the purpose of salvation and sanctification of mankind

We recognize that the Lord renewed our minds and understanding the law and sacrifice, pointing our hearts towards God and reminding us of His divine economy, His plan of salvation, which was since the foundation of the world
Therefore we learn that God's will for us is sanctification and that His attitude towards humanity has always been loving

DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY

Option 1: Study Isaiah 53

Select one of the passages discussed today or presented in the introduction to this lesson (Isaiah 53 is a good one)

Read this passage together in class and discuss what this reveals to us about Christ and what event it points to

Option 2: Identify how Christ fulfilled Prophecies

Refer to the list of prophecies of Christ either in the Lesson Contents above or the Servant Resources below

The servant may select a few prophecies to share with the youth, perhaps in worksheet form, and see whether the class is able to identify how Christ fulfilled such prophecy

SERVANT RESOURCES

Fr. Tadros Commentaries on Ezekiel and Isaiah
Manifestations of God the Son in the Old Testament PDF - attached below

See the following references from the Introduction:

Born of a Woman (Gn. 3:15; Gal. 4:4)
Descendent of Abraham (Gn. 18:18; Acts 3:25)
Descendent of Isaac (Gn. 17:19; Mt. 1:2)
Descendent of Jacob (Num. 24:17; Lk. 3:34)
Descendant of the Tribe of Judah (Gn. 49:10; Lk 3:33)
Heir of David (Gn. 49:10; Mt. 1:1)
Born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; Mt. 2:1-6)
Birth a Virgin (Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:18-23)
Flight to Egypt (Hos. 11:1; Mt. 2:14-15)
Service in Galilee (Is. 9:1-2; Matt. 4:12-16)
Rejected by the Jews (Is. 53:3; Ps. 2:2; Jn. 1:11)
Entered Jerusalem Victoriously (Zec. 9:9; Is. 62:11; Jn. 12:12-16)
Betrayed (Ps. 41:9; Mk. 14:10)
Sold for Thirty Piece of Silver (Zec. 11:12; Mt. 26:15-16)
Silent before Accusations (Is. 53:7; Ps. 38:13-14; Mt. 27:12-14)
Spat on (Is. 50:6; Mk. 14:65)
Crucified with Sinners (Is. 53:12; Mt. 27:38; Mk. 15:27-28)
Pierced Hands and Feet (Ps. 22:16; Jn. 20:25-28)
Mocked and Insulted (Ps. 22:6-8; Mt. 27:39-40)
Received Vinegar and Bitters (Ps. 69:12; Jn. 19:29)
Pierced Side (Zec. 12:10; Jn. 19:34-37, 20:27)
Divided garments, Cast Lots for Clothing (Ps. 22:18; Mk. 15:24; Jn. 19:23)
Not One Bone Shall Be Broken (Ps. 34:20; Ex. 12:46; Jn. 19:33)
Resurrection (Ps. 16:2; Hos. 6:1-2; Ps. 3:5; Mt. 28:7)
Ascension (Ps. 68:18; Lk. 24:50-52; Acts 1:9)