Prophecy Fulfilled!

             As the day dawned that Friday morning some 2000-plus years ago, I’m sure that the Pharisees and Religious Leaders could almost smell victory.  For three years they had struggled to stop the One who challenged their authority and often made them look like fools.  Now, He had acknowledged to them that He is the Son of God—blasphemy in their eyes (Matthew 26: 63 – 66).  It was time to end His nonsense once and for all.  The only thing standing in their way was the Roman government.  The Jewish leaders only had to convince the Roman governor, Pilate, that this man was worthy of death, and then the victory would be complete—or so they thought.

            Those men had been educated in the Jewish law and should have known all the prophecies that God had given over thousands of years concerning the Messiah.  Unfortunately for them, they were so consumed with their power and position that they missed all the signs that God had so carefully set out for them.

            Jesus’ entire ministry was a fulfillment of prophecy.  Approximately 800 years before Jesus was born, the Psalmist prophesied that the Messiah would speak and teach in parables (Psalm 78: 1, 2).  More than 600 years before Christ’s birth, Isaiah prophesied that He would heal the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute (Isaiah 35: 5 – 6).  When Judas approached them about his plot to deliver Jesus into their hands, they should have known that the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver—the exact amount that they agreed to pay Judas (Zechariah 11: 12). 

            On the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, many of the Religious Leaders were there, hearing the crowd shouting blessings on Christ.  Yet, they were appalled by the crowds’ actions and called on Christ to rebuke His followers (Luke 19:39). Perhaps they missed the prophecy of Zechariah, saying, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9: 9 NIV84).

            All the signs were there!  These are only a few of the prophecies indicating that Jesus was/is the Messiah.  There are others concerning His birth, His ministry, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.  The signs were all there, and the Religious Leaders should have known them well.  Instead, they allowed their ambition and well-being to cloud their judgment.  They put themselves ahead of God and ended up on the wrong side of the greatest moment in all history. 

            Don’t be distracted by the world around you.  See Christ for who He is—the Redeemer, the Rescuer, the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb.  Don’t follow the example of the Pharisees or you may miss out on the most important moment of your life!

Psalm 78: 1, 2

Isaiah 35: 5, 6

Zechariah 9: 9 & 11: 12

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