How does Jesus' death in Matthew 27:50 fulfill Old Testament prophecies? Reading Matthew 27:50 “When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit.” Key Prophetic Threads Converging at the Moment of Death • A loud, victorious cry foretold by the psalmist • A conscious, voluntary handing over of life anticipated by David and Isaiah • A precise timing that fits Passover and Daniel’s timetable • A redemptive purpose sketched by the prophets and sacrificial system The Voluntary Surrender of the Spirit • Psalm 31:5 – “Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth.” – David’s words become Jesus’ act; the Messiah does not have life taken from Him but freely offers it. • Isaiah 53:12 – “He poured out His life to death… yet He bore the sin of many.” – The Servant’s self-giving death matches the Gospel wording “He yielded up His spirit.” The Loud Cry of Completion • Psalm 22:31 – “They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn—for He has done it.” – “He has done it” in Hebrew parallels “It is finished” (John 19:30) and underlies the loud cry recorded by Matthew. • Psalm 22 throughout pictures the righteous sufferer whose cries turn to victory, fulfilled in Jesus’ final shout. The Timing Foretold • Exodus 12 – the Passover lamb slain as twilight approaches; Jesus dies as Passover lambs are being killed. • Daniel 9:26 – “After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.” – The prophetic calendar lands on the very generation Jesus is “cut off” for others. Pierced, Mourned, Yet Not Broken • Zechariah 12:10 – “They will look on Me whom they have pierced.” – Matthew soon records the spear thrust (John fills in the detail), showing literal piercing. • Psalm 34:20 & Exodus 12:46 – “He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.” – Roman practice broke legs to hasten death; God’s Word prevented it, keeping Jesus as the unblemished Lamb. Substitution and Atonement Foreseen • Isaiah 53:4-6 – “Surely He took on our infirmities… the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” – The Servant suffers in the place of the guilty, exactly what the Gospels declare happened at the cross. • Leviticus 16 – the Day of Atonement sacrifices prefigure a once-for-all offering; Jesus’ death ends the need for continuing sacrifices (Hebrews 9:25-26). Why It Matters for Us Today • The harmony between prophecy and fulfillment assures that God’s plan never fails. • The voluntary, predicted death of Jesus validates His claim to be the promised Messiah. • Every promise kept at Calvary guarantees the reliability of every future promise God has made. |
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