Welcome to Authorized Sword Ministries. This is Lesson 7 in our series, Who Is Jesus? Today's lesson is called Written Beforehand: Old Testament Prophecies Jesus Fulfilled.

We're so glad you're here.

Last time we looked at the names and titles of Christ. Today we're going to open the Old Testament and see Jesus written all through it, hundreds of years before He was born. In Lesson 1 we already saw a few of these prophecies: that He would be the seed of the woman, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, and pierced in His hands and feet. Today we'll look at more of them, many from the last week of His life, and we'll see each one come true word for word.

Our Key Verse

Today's key verse is Luke 24:44. These are the words of the risen Lord Jesus to His disciples:

"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." — Luke 24:44 (KJV)

The law, the prophets, and the psalms. That was the whole Old Testament as the Jews divided it. Jesus said it was all about Him. And He said these things "must be fulfilled." Not might. Must.

Why Prophecy Matters

God Himself points to prophecy as proof that He alone is God:

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" — Isaiah 46:9-10 (KJV)

Anyone can make a guess about tomorrow. Only God can declare the end from the beginning and never miss.

And these prophecies really were written down before Jesus was born. In 1947, shepherds found the Dead Sea Scrolls in caves near the Dead Sea. One of them, the Great Isaiah Scroll, holds the whole book of Isaiah and dates to around 125 to 100 years before Christ, according to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where it is kept. So when we read Isaiah's words about the suffering servant, we're reading words that were on a scroll before Jesus was ever born in Bethlehem.

The King on a Donkey

The prophet Zechariah preached around 520 years before Christ. He wrote:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." — Zechariah 9:9 (KJV)

Kings rode into a city on war horses. But this King would come lowly, on a donkey. Here's what happened on the day we call Palm Sunday:

"All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." — Matthew 21:4-5 (KJV)

Thirty Pieces of Silver

Zechariah also wrote about a price:

"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD." — Zechariah 11:12-13 (KJV)

Thirty pieces of silver, thrown down in the house of the Lord, and given for the potter. Now listen to Matthew:

"And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver." — Matthew 26:15 (KJV)

When Judas was filled with guilt, he threw the money down in the temple, and the priests used it to buy the potter's field (Matthew 27:5-7). The amount, the temple, and the potter, all foretold centuries before.

They Parted His Garments

David wrote Psalm 22 about a thousand years before Christ. In Lesson 1 we read that it says "they pierced my hands and my feet." Just two verses later, it says this:

"They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." — Psalm 22:18 (KJV)

John watched it happen at the foot of the cross:

"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did." — John 19:23-24 (KJV)

Notice the detail. The garments were divided, but the coat was gambled for. Both halves of the prophecy came true, by Roman soldiers who had no idea they were fulfilling Scripture.

Not a Bone Broken

The Passover lamb was not to have a bone broken (Exodus 12:46). And the psalmist wrote of the righteous man:

"He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." — Psalm 34:20 (KJV)

The Romans could hurry the death of a crucified man by breaking his legs. They broke the legs of the two thieves. But when they came to Jesus, He was already dead.

"For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken." — John 19:36 (KJV)

With the Rich in His Death

Isaiah 53 tells us much about the suffering servant. In Lesson 1 we read that "he was wounded for our transgressions." A few verses later, Isaiah says where He would be buried:

"And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." — Isaiah 53:9 (KJV)

He died between two criminals, and He was buried by a rich man:

"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:" — Matthew 27:57 (KJV)

Joseph laid Him in his own new tomb, cut out of rock.

He Would Not Stay Dead

Finally, David wrote about a Holy One whose body would not decay:

"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." — Psalm 16:10 (KJV)

David died and his body decayed. So who was he talking about? On the day of Pentecost, Peter explained it:

"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." — Acts 2:31 (KJV)

The tomb is empty. The prophecy came true.

What This Means for You

One fulfilled prophecy could be a coincidence. But Jesus fulfilled prophecy after prophecy, written by different men over hundreds of years, many of them about things no man could arrange for himself: where he'd be born, how he'd be betrayed, what soldiers would do with his clothes, how he'd be buried, and that he would rise again.

The same God who kept every promise about Christ's first coming will keep every promise about His second coming. And He will keep every promise He has made to you.

A Simple Step for This Week

Here's our challenge for this week. Pick one prophecy from this lesson and read it side by side with its fulfillment, the Old Testament verse first and then the New. Then share it with one person this week and ask them, "Who else could this be about?"

A Prayer

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You declare the end from the beginning, and that every word You spoke about Your Son came true. Thank You that the Lord Jesus fulfilled the law, the prophets, and the psalms.

Strengthen our faith as we see Your faithfulness. Help us to trust every promise in Your Word, and to point others to the Christ the Scriptures foretold.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with us.

This is Authorized Sword Ministries. God bless you.

Study Questions

1. In Luke 24:44, what three parts of the Old Testament did Jesus say were written about Him?
2. According to Isaiah 46:9-10, what does prophecy show about God?
3. What is the Great Isaiah Scroll, and why does its date matter?
4. How did Jesus' entry into Jerusalem fulfill Zechariah 9:9?
5. List the details of Zechariah 11:12-13 that came true with Judas.
6. What two things did the soldiers do with Jesus' clothing, and how did that fulfill Psalm 22:18?
7. Why were Jesus' legs not broken, and which Scriptures did that fulfill?
8. How did Jesus' burial fulfill Isaiah 53:9?
9. How did Peter explain Psalm 16:10 in Acts 2:31?
10. How should fulfilled prophecy about Christ's first coming help us trust God's promises today?

Verified Scripture References (KJV)

All quotations were checked word for word against the King James Version (bible-api.com, translation=kjv) on October 26, 2026.

1. Luke 24:44 — "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."
2. Isaiah 46:9-10 — "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
3. Zechariah 9:9 — "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
4. Matthew 21:4-5 — "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."
5. Zechariah 11:12-13 — "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD."
6. Matthew 26:15 — "And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
7. Psalm 22:18 — "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."
8. John 19:23-24 — "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did."
9. Psalm 34:20 — "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."
10. John 19:36 — "For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken."
11. Isaiah 53:9 — "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."
12. Matthew 27:57 — "When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:"
13. Psalm 16:10 — "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
14. Acts 2:31 — "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption."
15. Referenced without a full quote: Matthew 27:5-7 (Judas casts down the silver in the temple; the priests buy the potter's field), Exodus 12:46 (no bone of the Passover lamb broken), John 19:31-33 (the thieves' legs broken, Jesus already dead), Matthew 27:60 (Joseph's own new tomb hewn in the rock). Phrases from Lesson 1 quoted inline: Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:5.

Sources

All sources were opened and checked on October 26, 2026.

1. Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947 at Qumran; the Great Isaiah Scroll contains all of Isaiah and dates to about 125 to 100 B.C.; kept at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem: The Israel Museum, "The Great Isaiah Scroll MS A (1QIsa)," https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/198208-0 ; The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls, "The Great Isaiah Scroll," http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah ; "Isaiah Scroll," Wikipedia (found by Bedouin shepherds in 1947), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Isaiah_scroll
2. Zechariah active about 520 to 518 B.C.; David flourished about 1000 B.C.: "Book of Zechariah," Encyclopaedia Britannica ("Zechariah was active from 520 to 518 bc"), https://www.britannica.com/topic/Book-of-Zechariah ; "David," Encyclopaedia Britannica ("flourished c. 1000 bce"), https://www.britannica.com/biography/David . Zechariah 1:1 (KJV) places his ministry in "the second year of Darius," and Psalm 22's title reads "A Psalm of David." (Note: Britannica reports that many scholars assign Zechariah 9-14 to later writers; this lesson follows the Bible's own heading, which places the whole book under Zechariah's name.)
3. Death on the cross "could be hastened by shattering the legs (crurifragium)": "Crucifixion," Encyclopaedia Britannica, section "Punishment"; John 19:31-33 (KJV) records it at this crucifixion, https://www.britannica.com/topic/crucifixion-capital-punishment