How does Acts 3:18 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Acts 3:18 in Focus “But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.” (Acts 3:18) God’s Prophetic Trail: Key Old-Testament Predictions of a Suffering Messiah • Genesis 3:15 – “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” • Psalm 22:1, 16, 18 – “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me… they have pierced My hands and feet… they divide My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.” • Psalm 69:21 – “They gave Me poison for food, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.” • Psalm 118:22 – “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” • Isaiah 50:6 – “I gave My back to those who strike… I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting.” • Isaiah 53:3-5, 10 – “He was despised and rejected by men… He was pierced for our transgressions… it pleased the LORD to crush Him.” • Daniel 9:26 – “After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.” • Zechariah 12:10 – “They will look on Me, the One they have pierced.” • Micah 5:1 – “They strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.” Perfect Fulfillment in Jesus’ Passion • Heel struck / serpent crushed (Genesis 3:15) → Cross looked like Satan’s win, yet Resurrection crushed him. • Cry of dereliction (Psalm 22:1) → Jesus’ words from the cross (Matthew 27:46). • Pierced hands, feet, divided garments (Psalm 22:16-18) → Crucifixion details (John 19:23-24, 34-37). • Offered sour wine (Psalm 69:21) → John 19:28-30. • Rejected cornerstone (Psalm 118:22) → Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7. • Scourged, spat upon (Isaiah 50:6) → Matthew 26:67; 27:26. • Pierced for transgressions (Isaiah 53) → 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 4:25. • “Cut off” Messiah (Daniel 9:26) → Death outside Jerusalem (John 19:17-18). • “Look on Me whom they pierced” (Zechariah 12:10) → John 19:37. • Struck on the cheek (Micah 5:1) → Matthew 27:30. Why Peter Points Back to These Texts • To show that Jesus’ suffering was not an accident but God’s scripted plan. • To root the gospel in the entire canon so his Jewish audience would see continuity. • To confirm that every prophetic voice, “all the prophets,” converged on the same message: Messiah must suffer before reigning (Luke 24:26-27). Takeaway: One Unbroken Story Acts 3:18 binds together Eden’s first promise, Israel’s prophets, and Calvary’s cross. The exact sufferings forecast centuries earlier met their literal fulfillment in Jesus, proving He is the long-awaited Messiah and underscoring Scripture’s perfect reliability. |
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