I had published this post, originally titled “The Passion in Prophecy,” at my other blog, Kenmore Pines 1, last year. Having read the Gospels and searched through the ancient prophecies, I compared side by side the passion of Jesus Christ and the prophecies concerning the Messiah.
The Passion in Prophecy
The Jews wanted an earthly king – another David, someone to free them from Rome’s power. But the Messiah was to be “a man of sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3) As He Himself said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Christ did not come to be an earthly king but to die the King of Kings. “For this was I born, and for this came I into the world.” (John 18:37)
“Every other person who ever came into this world came into it to live. He [Jesus] came into it to die.“
Fulton Sheen
The prophecies of Christ’s passion fill the Scriptures. Almost every detail was foretold long before Jesus walked the hills of Judea. David, Isaiah, and the other prophets saw, centuries before, the passion of the Savior. Even during His public life, Christ Himself spoke multiple times of His coming passion and death.
Many of the prophecies concerning the life of Christ speak of His suffering. Let us look now at His passion and the prophecies of His suffering and death.
1. He was betrayed.
Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve; and one of you is a devil? Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him, whereas he was one of the twelve.
John 6:71, 72
King David prophesied that Christ would be betrayed by a friend. “For even the man of peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.” (Psalm 40:10) He even told in detail all that would befall the traitor Judas. “May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.” (Psalm 108:8) The days of Judas were few, as he “hanged himself with an halter” (Matthew 27:5), and his bishopric was taken by Matthias (see Acts 1:26).
Thirty Pieces of Silver
Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests, And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 26:14, 15
Zacharias saw, in prophecy, that Christ would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver which would then be used to buy a potter’s field. “And they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me: Cast it to the statuary, a handsome price, that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I cast them into the house of the Lord to the statuary.” (Zacharias 11:12, 13) (The Hebrew word statuary signifies also a potter.) “But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver,… bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying place for strangers.” (Matthew 27:6, 7)
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel. And they gave them unto the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed to me.
Matthew 27:9, 10
Betrayed to the Chief Priests
Christ Himself foretold that He would be betrayed to the chief priests. “Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests.” (Mark 10:33 and Matthew 20:18) “From that time Jesus began to shew to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the ancients and scribes and chief priests, and be put to death.” (Matthew 16:21)
And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them.
Mark 14:10
2. He was mocked, spit upon, buffeted, scourged, and crowned with thorns.
And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace, and they called together the whole band: And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him. And they began to salute him: Hail, king of the Jews. And they struck his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing their knees, they adored him.
Mark 15:16-19
Isaiah wrote, more than five centuries earlier, of the man of sorrows, “He was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) And in another place, he said, “I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me.” (Isaiah 50:6) And Jesus told His apostles, concerning Himself, “They shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. And they shall mock him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and kill him.” (Mark 10:33, 34)
3. He was crucified.
And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, they crucified him there.
Luke 23:33
Almost every detail surrounding His crucifixion was foretold long before it took place. It was prophesied that He would be crucified with sinners (“He hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked.” Isaiah 53:12), that He would pray for His enemies (“He hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12), that He would be given gall and vinegar to drink (“And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 68:22), that the soldiers would cast lots for His garments (“They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.” Psalm 21:19), that the sky would turn dark at the time of His death (“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood.” Joel 2:31), and that He would be pierced with a lance (“And they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced.” Zacharias 12:10)
Blasphemy of the Onlookers
The blasphemy of the onlookers of the crucifixion was prophesied even to their very words and actions. “Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be. For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.” (Wisdom 2:17, 18) “All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.” (Psalm 21:8, 9)
And they that passed by, blasphemed him, wagging their heads, And saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross
In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking, said: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him now deliver him if he will have him; for he said: I am the Son of God.
Matthew 27:39-43
But this is not the end…
Christ was crucified for us, taking upon Himself the sins of the whole world. He died that we may have life “and may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Along with the prophecies of His death came the prophecies of His Resurrection. “After that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.” (Mark 9:30)
Therefore I have faith, knowing that Christ died for me, having given Himself up to the death of the cross. And He rose again on the third day, as it is written; so now, He has conquered death, and all will rise again on the last day.
I have only begun here to share the prophecies concerning the Messiah; it would be too much for me to share them all in one post. But I encourage all who read this to look deeper into the Scriptures, and to read for themselves all that the prophets wrote concerning Jesus Christ.
Blessings in Christ,
P.S. You can also follow me at my other blog, Kenmore Pines 1, here.
To learn more about this blog, check out my blog launch post here.
*All verses taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible*