What proof is there that Jesus was the 'Messiah', how do we really know he was the true Messiah of prophecy.
There are many "Christs" in the world today - people calling themselves or being called by their followers as "Christ". The Bible also warns against "false Christs". How do we know the real Christ from a fake?
What about Jesus Christ? Was He just another man? Was He an imposter or was He the real Messiah, the Son of Living God?
This is the vital question we all need to answer for ourselves, for it could make the difference between life and death. One thing is sure, Jesus has created more controversy than any other founder of the religious systems of the world.
He also made some astounding claims that would make Him the sole source of salvation to fallen man, ("I am the way, the truth, and the life,... NO MAN cometh unto the Father but by ME." John 14:6) The tension such a statement creates between the various religious systems cannot be readily resolved without compromise.
Either He was right, or He was not; compromise seems impossible. If He was right, then this controversy will escalate to its final conclusion culminating in the glorious return of Christ to this earth to reclaim His dominion and to judge the living and the dead. If He was wrong, then the Messiah, according to the various belief systems, has not yet come, or he has come a number of times in the form of world teachers, or he will not come at all.
Buddhism and Hinduism teach that the Christ, the world teacher, has experienced numerous reincarnations at different stages of human progression. The Muslims teach that Jesus Christ was a prophet, but that he was not the Son of God. However, they also teach that He was born of a virgin, worked miracles, was the Messiah, lived a sinless life, went up to heaven, and is coming again before the end of the world.1 The Jews, excluding the Messianic Jews, reject Jesus outright. To them He is an imposter.
Christians themselves are divided in their attitudes toward Jesus. Some see Him as God, Saviour, Lord and Messiah while others refuse to accept His divinity, choosing to see Him as a special created being. Who is right? Let us look at the evidence.
The High Priest asked Him,...Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed ? And Jesus said, I am; and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:6162
The Claims of Others
He [Andrew] first found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah (which is translated, the Christ). John 1:41 NKJV
The Prophecies
There are at least 60 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. But there are more than 300 references to the Messiah in the Old Testament, and these were written over a 1500-year period. Conservative scholars estimate that the last Old Testament book was written around 450 BC. But those claiming a later date cannot possibly push that date closer than about 250 BC - the reason for this being the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was completed during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-246 BC). This is an historical fact and it places a span of at least 250 years between the Old Testament predictions and their fulfilment in Christ.
It would be impossible to discuss all sixty in depth of the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament, but Walter J. Veith singles out a few for closer examination:
1. The Virgin Birth
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name lmmanuel. Isaiah 7:14
And Joseph... kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son: and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18, 2425 NASB
2. Bethlehem
But thou Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2
...Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea... Matthew 2:1
3. Ministry of Miracles
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped... Isaiah 35:56
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages ...healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35
4. Into Jerusalem On a Donkey
...Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey ... Zechariah 9:9 NASB
And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the colt, and put Jesus on it .... Luke 19:35 NASB
It is estimated that 29 of the prophecies concerning the Messiah were written by a variety of different men over at least five centuries and fulfilled in one 24hour period of his life.
5. Betrayed By a Friend
Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 41:9 NASB
... Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.Matthew 10:4 NASB
6. 30 Pieces of Silver AND 7. Potter's Field
So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Zechariah 11:13 NASB
And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; ... and they ... with the money bought the Potters Field.... Matthew 27:5-7 NASB
7. Attitude Under Accusation
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; ... Isaiah 53:7 NASB
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He made no answer. Matthew 27:12 NASB
8. He Was Physically Abused
But He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities ... and by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NASB
Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. Matthew 27:26 NASB
9. Hands and Feet Pierced
...They pierced my hands and my feet. Psalm 22:16 NASB
... they crucified Him... Luke 23:33 NASB
10. Crucified With Thieves
...He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors,... Isaiah 53:12 NASB
At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. Matthew 27:38 NASB
11. Garments Parted and Lots Cast
They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalm 22:18 NASB
The soldiers ... took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier, and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said ... Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be ... John 19:2324 NASB
12. Offered Vinegar
They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:21 NASB
...they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.Matthew 27:34 NASB
13. No Bones Broken
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20 NASB
... but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.John 19:33 NASB
15. Buried in a Rich Man's Tomb
And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Isaiah 53:9
... there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph... And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb ... Matthew 27:5760 NASB
Some have suggested that these prophecies were accidentally or coincidentally fulfilled by Jesus. According to the science of probability, the chance of any one human being up until the present fulfilling a selection of just eight of these prophecies (including the one on crucifixion) is one in a hundred thousand million million. One of the greatest proof of Jesus as the Messiah is found in the Biblical prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27!!! The seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9 is the most astounding messianic prophecy in Scripture. Its amazing how accurately it predicts the time of and the events surrounding the coming of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazerath.
There are many "Christs" in the world today - people calling themselves or being called by their followers as "Christ". The Bible also warns against "false Christs". How do we know the real Christ from a fake?
What about Jesus Christ? Was He just another man? Was He an imposter or was He the real Messiah, the Son of Living God?
This is the vital question we all need to answer for ourselves, for it could make the difference between life and death. One thing is sure, Jesus has created more controversy than any other founder of the religious systems of the world.
He also made some astounding claims that would make Him the sole source of salvation to fallen man, ("I am the way, the truth, and the life,... NO MAN cometh unto the Father but by ME." John 14:6) The tension such a statement creates between the various religious systems cannot be readily resolved without compromise.
Either He was right, or He was not; compromise seems impossible. If He was right, then this controversy will escalate to its final conclusion culminating in the glorious return of Christ to this earth to reclaim His dominion and to judge the living and the dead. If He was wrong, then the Messiah, according to the various belief systems, has not yet come, or he has come a number of times in the form of world teachers, or he will not come at all.
Buddhism and Hinduism teach that the Christ, the world teacher, has experienced numerous reincarnations at different stages of human progression. The Muslims teach that Jesus Christ was a prophet, but that he was not the Son of God. However, they also teach that He was born of a virgin, worked miracles, was the Messiah, lived a sinless life, went up to heaven, and is coming again before the end of the world.1 The Jews, excluding the Messianic Jews, reject Jesus outright. To them He is an imposter.
Christians themselves are divided in their attitudes toward Jesus. Some see Him as God, Saviour, Lord and Messiah while others refuse to accept His divinity, choosing to see Him as a special created being. Who is right? Let us look at the evidence.
The High Priest asked Him,...Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed ? And Jesus said, I am; and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:6162
The Claims of Others
He [Andrew] first found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah (which is translated, the Christ). John 1:41 NKJV
The Prophecies
There are at least 60 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. But there are more than 300 references to the Messiah in the Old Testament, and these were written over a 1500-year period. Conservative scholars estimate that the last Old Testament book was written around 450 BC. But those claiming a later date cannot possibly push that date closer than about 250 BC - the reason for this being the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was completed during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-246 BC). This is an historical fact and it places a span of at least 250 years between the Old Testament predictions and their fulfilment in Christ.
It would be impossible to discuss all sixty in depth of the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament, but Walter J. Veith singles out a few for closer examination:
1. The Virgin Birth
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name lmmanuel. Isaiah 7:14
And Joseph... kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son: and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18, 2425 NASB
2. Bethlehem
But thou Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2
...Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea... Matthew 2:1
3. Ministry of Miracles
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped... Isaiah 35:56
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages ...healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35
4. Into Jerusalem On a Donkey
...Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey ... Zechariah 9:9 NASB
And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the colt, and put Jesus on it .... Luke 19:35 NASB
It is estimated that 29 of the prophecies concerning the Messiah were written by a variety of different men over at least five centuries and fulfilled in one 24hour period of his life.
5. Betrayed By a Friend
Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 41:9 NASB
... Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.Matthew 10:4 NASB
6. 30 Pieces of Silver AND 7. Potter's Field
So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Zechariah 11:13 NASB
And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; ... and they ... with the money bought the Potters Field.... Matthew 27:5-7 NASB
7. Attitude Under Accusation
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; ... Isaiah 53:7 NASB
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He made no answer. Matthew 27:12 NASB
8. He Was Physically Abused
But He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities ... and by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NASB
Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. Matthew 27:26 NASB
9. Hands and Feet Pierced
...They pierced my hands and my feet. Psalm 22:16 NASB
... they crucified Him... Luke 23:33 NASB
10. Crucified With Thieves
...He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors,... Isaiah 53:12 NASB
At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. Matthew 27:38 NASB
11. Garments Parted and Lots Cast
They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalm 22:18 NASB
The soldiers ... took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier, and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said ... Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be ... John 19:2324 NASB
12. Offered Vinegar
They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:21 NASB
...they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.Matthew 27:34 NASB
13. No Bones Broken
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20 NASB
... but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.John 19:33 NASB
15. Buried in a Rich Man's Tomb
And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Isaiah 53:9
... there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph... And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb ... Matthew 27:5760 NASB
Some have suggested that these prophecies were accidentally or coincidentally fulfilled by Jesus. According to the science of probability, the chance of any one human being up until the present fulfilling a selection of just eight of these prophecies (including the one on crucifixion) is one in a hundred thousand million million. One of the greatest proof of Jesus as the Messiah is found in the Biblical prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27!!! The seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9 is the most astounding messianic prophecy in Scripture. Its amazing how accurately it predicts the time of and the events surrounding the coming of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazerath.