What Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled by Jesus' resurrection in Matthew 28:9? Matthew 28:9 — The risen Jesus greets His followers “Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ ”. The bodily, physical encounter seals every promise God made that His Messiah would conquer death. Key Old-Testament words that looked ahead to this moment • Psalm 16:10: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol or let Your Holy One see decay.” • Psalm 2:7: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” • Psalm 118:17: “I will not die, but live, and proclaim what the LORD has done.” • Isaiah 53:10-11: “He will prolong His days… After His anguish, He will see the light.” • Hosea 6:2: “On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him.” • Jonah 1:17: “Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.” How each prophecy meets its fulfillment in Matthew 28:9 • Psalm 16:10—David foresaw resurrection; Acts 2:25-31 cites it as proof that Jesus’ body never decayed. Matthew 28:9 shows the living Christ standing before witnesses. • Psalm 2:7—Paul links this verse with the resurrection (Acts 13:33). Jesus’ triumphant greeting in Matthew 28:9 displays the declared Sonship validated by rising from the grave. • Psalm 118:17—The psalmist’s confidence that he would “live” echoes in Jesus’ victory; the women grasp His feet because death truly lost its hold. • Isaiah 53:10-11—The Servant, crushed yet seeing “the light,” now meets disciples face to face, His days literally “prolonged.” • Hosea 6:2—Israel’s third-day hope finds its ultimate expression when Jesus stands alive on the third day and invites worship. • Jonah 1:17—Jesus labeled it “the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:40). After three days in the earth’s “belly,” He greets the faithful in Matthew 28:9, completing the sign. The early church’s witness Acts 2:31 and 13:33-34 openly connect these psalms and prophecies to the resurrection, confirming the seamless thread between Scripture and the empty tomb. Living in the light of fulfillment Every promise God voiced centuries earlier found concrete, historical expression when Jesus met the women on resurrection morning. That moment anchors our faith, assures our forgiveness, and guarantees our own future resurrection with Him. |
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