Welcome back to the second part of our series on Fulfilled Biblical prophecies. In the first part we looked at the fundamental prophecies surrounding Jesus Christ himself; the ultimate prophecies which enable our very salvation.
And now we’re going to continue with some of the essential prophecies that Jesus mentioned Himself, regarding truths of the gospel.
The Temple Destroyed and Rebuilt
Jesus made several interesting comments regarding both the destruction and rebuilding of the temple. These comments seemed to be misunderstood by the religious leaders of the day.
In John chapter 2 verse 19, Jesus says that if the temple is destroyed, He will raise it up again in three days; this was a response to the religious leaders’ request for a sign of Jesus’ authority.
Now, this is particularly fascinating because the religious leaders were asking about divine authority, and Jesus’ answer to that question was to specifically point to His upcoming resurrection. Verse 21 says that Jesus was speaking about His own body; He knew what was going to happen. And notice verse 22… after Jesus was resurrected, the disciples remembered that Jesus spoke these words, and they believed.
In His death and resurrection Jesus fulfilled numerous prophecies such as Psalm 16:10, Psalm 22, and of course, Isaiah 53.
The Change of Covenants
When it comes to the major biblical covenants, there’s an interesting quote by Jesus in Matthew 5:17-18, when He says:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
For truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one stroke or one pronunciation mark shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
These verses are commonly used to support the continuation of the Mosaic Law and the Ten Commandments. And most people incorrectly quote verse 17 as Jesus saying that He did not come to abolish the law. However the only English translations of the verse to use the word “abolish” here, are the NIV and similar translations based off of the Alexandrian texts.
Most other translations, such as the King James Version, use the word “destroy” in verse 17, which while a bit closer, still does not fully convey the meaning of the original Greek.
You see, the Greek word used here for “destroy” is kataluō which actually means to dissolve or throw down prematurely; or in other words, to bring something to its end unnaturally. And we know for a fact that Jesus surely did not unnaturally end the Law or the prophesies, instead He fulfilled them completely as He came to do. He brought the Law to its perfectly natural completion by fulfilling it.
This aligns perfectly with what Jesus says in the verses we read in Matthew 5:17-18, which is the very essence of the gospel. Understanding that this prophecy has been fulfilled by Jesus, and the implications of this change is essential to a successful Christian life.
Blessings Flow From Jesus
Along with the change in covenants, there are parallel prophecies surrounding the effect that Jesus’ complete work would have on those who believe. In Genesis 22:18, we see a prophecy of the future blessings that believers would receive as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice.
In the verse, God is speaking to Abraham, and God says that through the line of Abraham, all nations will be blessed, and this prophecy was indeed fulfilled through Jesus Christ, who ultimately brought blessings to all who believe.
Meditation and Encouragement
The same concept that stumbled the religious leaders in Jesus’ day, still confounds many Christians today. Do you appreciate the fact that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies? Do you understand what it means that He did so? The change that He brought about is the very essence of the gospel, and through this change, we are given our new spiritual life.
I encourage you today to live in this truth, and I invite you to join me next time, we we delve deeper into the prophecies fulfilled through Jesus Christ.