Topical Bible: The Death of Christ: Foretold

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The death of Jesus Christ is a central event in Christian theology, and its foretelling is woven throughout the Old and New Testaments. The prophetic anticipation of Christ's sacrificial death underscores its divine purpose and fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

Old Testament Prophecies

1. Genesis 3:15 · Often referred to as the Protoevangelium, this verse is seen as the first hint of the gospel. God declares enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their offspring, stating, "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." This is interpreted as a foretelling of Christ's victory over sin and Satan through His death and resurrection.

2. Psalm 22 · This psalm, attributed to David, vividly describes the suffering of a righteous sufferer, paralleling the crucifixion of Christ. Verses such as "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing" (Psalm 22:18) are seen as direct prophecies of the events at the crucifixion.

3. Isaiah 53 · Known as the Suffering Servant passage, Isaiah 53 provides a detailed prophecy of the Messiah's suffering and death. Verses like "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5) are understood as clear predictions of Christ's atoning death.

4. Zechariah 12:10 · This prophecy speaks of a future time when the inhabitants of Jerusalem will look upon the one they have pierced and mourn for Him. "They will look on Me, the One they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10) is seen as a foretelling of the crucifixion and the recognition of Christ's sacrifice.

New Testament Affirmations

1. Jesus' Own Predictions · Throughout the Gospels, Jesus explicitly predicts His own death and resurrection. In Matthew 16:21, it is recorded, "From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things... and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" .

2. The Last Supper · During the Last Supper, Jesus speaks of His impending death as a fulfillment of Scripture. In Matthew 26:28, He states, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" , indicating the sacrificial nature of His death.

3. Apostolic Teaching · The apostles, particularly Peter and Paul, affirm the foretelling of Christ's death in their teachings. In Acts 2:23, Peter declares, "This Jesus was handed over to you by God's set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross" .

4. Hebrews 9:26 · The author of Hebrews emphasizes the necessity and foreordained nature of Christ's sacrifice: "But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself" .

Theological Significance

The foretelling of Christ's death is not merely a prediction of future events but is deeply embedded in the theological framework of salvation history. It highlights the continuity of God's redemptive plan from the Old Testament to the New Testament, affirming the divine orchestration of Christ's sacrificial death as the means of atonement for humanity's sins. The prophetic nature of these scriptures serves to authenticate Jesus as the promised Messiah and underscores the fulfillment of God's promises through His death and resurrection.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 53:8
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Daniel 9:26
And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and to the end of the war desolations are determined.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Zechariah 13:7
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, said the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand on the little ones.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christ's Work and Death Foretold.
... Chapter XLVIII."Christ's work and death foretold. And that it was predicted that
our Christ should heal all diseases and raise the dead, hear what was said. ...
/.../justin/the first apology of justin/chapter xlviii christs work and death.htm

It is Proved from the Prophets that the Passion and Death of ...
... Addressed to His Brother Pentadius. Chap. XLVI."It is Proved from the Prophets
that the Passion and Death of Christ Had Been Foretold. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xlvi it is proved from.htm

The Dispersion of the Jews, and their Desolate Condition for ...
... Jews, and Their Desolate Condition for Rejecting Christ, Foretold. ... his master's enemy
whom they put to death. ... events, [3429] if the Creator's Christ has not ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxiii the dispersion of the.htm

Of the Passion of Jesus Christ; that it was Foretold.
... re-echo their own condemnation as foretold by the ... Jews, therefore, being often reproved
by Christ, who upbraided ... people, were stirred up to put Him to death. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xvi of the passion of.htm

The Death of Christ
... Even so was it with Christ. ... Here, again, we see the fitness of His death and of those ...
Even so, He foretold the manner of His redeeming death, "I, if I be ...
/.../athanasius/on the incarnation of the word/chapter 4 the death of.htm

The Progress of the Gospel from the Death of Christ to the Death ...
... 55:3] Daniel had foretold that the ... the new religionists without perceiving that Christ
was "the ... extraordinary circumstances which accompanied His death, of His ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter iv the progress of.htm

That He Descended into Hell is Also Evidently Foretold in the ...
... That He descended into hell is also evidently foretold in the Psalms ... do we look for
another?" Whence also Peter says that "Christ being put to death in the ...
/.../28 that he descended into.htm

The Harmony of the Gospels.
... Miracles accompanied Christ's death, [397]206. ... Peter, his denial of Christ foretold,
[416]178; cuts off Malchus' right ear, [417]184; denies Christ, [418]187 ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/the harmony of the gospels.htm

Christ's Session in Heaven Foretold.
... Chapter XLV."Christ's session in heaven foretold. ... Jerusalem, preached everywhere;
and though death is decreed ... all confess the name of Christ, we everywhere ...
/.../justin/the first apology of justin/chapter xlv christs session in heaven.htm

The Five Books Against Marcion
... The Subsequent Influence of Christ's Death in the World ... What These are. Chapter
XXI.--The Call of the Gentiles Under the Influence of the Gospel Foretold. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/the five books against marcion/