What Old Testament prophecies support Paul's message in Acts 17:3? Setting the Scene in Acts 17:3 Paul “explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead” (Acts 17:3) did not invent a new idea; he simply opened the scrolls the Jews already trusted and showed how they pointed to Jesus. Prophecies of the Messiah’s Suffering • Psalm 22 – vivid, crucifixion–style details – v.1 “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” – v.16 “They have pierced my hands and feet.” – v.18 “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” • Isaiah 53 – the suffering Servant – v.5 “He was pierced for our transgressions… by His stripes we are healed.” – v.12 “He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.” • Daniel 9:26 – “After the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing.” • Zechariah 12:10 – “They will look on Me whom they have pierced.” • Psalm 118:22 – “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Prophecies of the Messiah’s Resurrection • Psalm 16:10 – “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.” • Isaiah 53:10-11 – after being crushed, “He will see His offspring, prolong His days… After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life.” • Hosea 6:2 – “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.” • Psalm 2:7 – God’s royal decree: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father,” a verse the New Testament repeatedly links to resurrection life (cf. Acts 13:33). • Jonah 1:17 – Jonah’s three days in the fish stand as a prophetic picture of Messiah’s three-day entombment (cf. Matthew 12:40). Prophecies Identifying Jesus as the Promised Christ • 2 Samuel 7:12-13 – the eternal throne promised to David’s seed. • Micah 5:2 – birthplace in Bethlehem. • Isaiah 9:6-7 – divine titles and an everlasting kingdom. • Genesis 3:15 – the Seed who would be wounded yet crush the serpent’s head. How These Passages Support Paul’s Claim • They show suffering and death were not a failure but God’s plan. • They promise that death would not hold the Messiah, validating resurrection. • They trace a consistent profile—Davidic lineage, rejection, piercing, yet ultimate triumph—that matches Jesus exactly. Bringing It All Together By laying Isaiah 53 next to Psalm 16, Psalm 22 beside Daniel 9, and then pointing to the empty tomb, Paul could confidently declare, “This Jesus I proclaim to you is the Christ” (Acts 17:3). The Old Testament prophecies form a seamless roadmap that leads straight to Calvary and the open grave—precisely the message Paul preached in Thessalonica and still anchors our faith today. |
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