What Old Testament prophecies relate to the Pharisees' actions in Matthew 12:14? Key Verse: Matthew 12:14 “But the Pharisees went out and conspired to kill Jesus.” Old Testament Prophecies That Anticipate This Plot Psalm 2:1-2 – The Nations Rage “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One.” • The psalm pictures rulers uniting against God’s Messiah—exactly what the Pharisees begin to do. • Their conspiracy fulfills the foretold rebellion of earthly authorities against the Lord’s Anointed. Psalm 31:13 – Schemes to Take His Life “For I hear the whispering of many; terror is on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.” • David’s experience foreshadows Messiah’s. • The secret council of Matthew 12:14 mirrors the whispered plotting of this psalm. Psalm 69:4 – Hated Without Cause “Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without reason, those who seek to destroy me.” • Jesus applies this verse to Himself (John 15:25). • Pharisaic hatred arose not from wrongdoing but from jealousy over His authority and miracles. Psalm 118:22 – Rejected by the Builders “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” • Israel’s “builders” were its religious leaders. • Their rejection in Matthew 12 sets the stage for the later crucifixion, the ultimate rejection of the Cornerstone. Isaiah 53:3-8 – The Suffering Servant “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering… He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter…” • The Servant’s rejection, oppression, and eventual death are sketched in advance. • The Pharisees’ conspiracy launches the sequence that will lead Him “to the slaughter.” Jeremiah 11:19 – The Lamb Unaware of the Plot “I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know that they had devised plots against me, saying, ‘Let us destroy the tree with its fruit…’” • Jeremiah’s personal lament prophetically anticipates Messiah’s innocence amid deadly plotting. • The Pharisees’ secret meeting echoes this very wording of “plots.” Micah 3:1-3, 9-12 – Corrupt Leaders “Hear, O heads of Jacob… who hate justice… Zion will be plowed like a field.” • Micah rebukes leaders who distort God’s law for power. • Their spiritual descendants, the Pharisees, likewise twist the law to justify killing the Lord of glory. Isaiah 29:13-14 – Hypocritical Worship Exposed “This people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me…” • Jesus quotes this passage in Matthew 15:7-9 to describe the Pharisees. • Their outward piety masks murderous hearts—exactly the hypocrisy Isaiah foresaw. Connecting the Dots • Each prophecy portrays righteous suffering at the hands of plotting leaders. • Together they reveal that Messiah would be: – Hated without cause (Psalm 69) – Rejected by Israel’s builders (Psalm 118) – Conspired against by rulers (Psalm 2, 31) – Oppressed yet silent (Isaiah 53) – Led like a lamb to slaughter (Jeremiah 11, Isaiah 53) – Betrayed by hypocritical worshipers (Isaiah 29, Micah 3) • Matthew 12:14 records the first explicit decision by Israel’s leaders to destroy Jesus, showing these Scriptures coming to life in real time. Takeaway The Pharisees’ resolve to kill Jesus did not surprise God; it fulfilled multiple prophecies penned centuries earlier, underscoring both the reliability of Scripture and the divine plan of redemption unfolding exactly as written. |
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