The Old Testament contains many prophecies and foreshadowings of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior of the world. Here are some of the key ways the Old Testament points to Jesus:
Genesis 3:15 – The Protoevangelium
After Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, God pronounced a curse on the serpent who had tempted them. Within this curse is the first prophecy of Christ’s coming: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 ESV). This passage hints at Jesus, the offspring of a woman, destroying Satan (“bruise your head”) while enduring suffering himself (“bruise his heel”). Early Christian writers called this the “Protoevangelium,” the first proclamation of the Gospel.
Genesis 12:1-3 – God’s promise to Abraham
When God called Abraham, he made a three-fold promise to him: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3 ESV). The final part points forward to Jesus, a descendant of Abraham through whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Paul confirmed that Jesus fulfilled this promise (Galatians 3:8, 16).
Genesis 49:10 – The scepter shall not depart from Judah
On his deathbed, Jacob prophesied over his sons, saying of Judah, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:10 ESV). This points to Davidic kingship in Israel culminating in an eternal king, Jesus, from the tribe of Judah.
Numbers 24:17 – The star shall come out of Jacob
In Numbers 24, the prophet Balaam predicted, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17 ESV). This star and scepter represent the Messiah, the king of Israel who would arise in the future, namely Jesus.
Deuteronomy 18:15 – The prophet like Moses
Moses himself prophesied that God would raise up a great prophet like him, saying, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen” (Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy as the greatest prophet of God who would supersede the revelation of the Law given through Moses.
2 Samuel 7:12-13 – An everlasting kingdom
When God established a covenant with David, he promised, “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13 ESV). Though partly fulfilled in Solomon, this pointed ahead to Jesus, the son of David whose kingdom would never end.
Psalms 2, 22, 69, 110 – The suffering and exalted Messiah
Several psalms contain prophecies of Christ. Psalm 2 depicts the nations rebelling against the Lord’s anointed king. Psalm 22 describes the suffering of one forsaken by God. Psalm 69 speaks of being scorned, shamed, and pierced. And Psalm 110 pictures a divine king-priest sitting at God’s right hand. Each of these details was fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion and exaltation.
Psalms 16 and 49 – The resurrection
Beyond a suffering Messiah, the Psalms also predict his resurrection from the dead. Psalm 16 declares that God will not abandon his faithful one to Sheol or let his body see corruption (v. 10). Applied to Jesus in Acts 2, this foretold his resurrection. Psalm 49:15 expresses hope of redemption from Sheol, also applicable to Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14 – Born of a virgin
Isaiah’s prophecy that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 ESV) was famously fulfilled centuries later in the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus, affirming his identity as “God with us.” The Gospels explicitly cite this passage as applying to Jesus (Matthew 1:22-23).
Isaiah 9:1-7 – The coming king
Isaiah 9 contains several details about the coming Messiah, including that his name would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v. 6). It locates his ministry in Galilee (v. 1) and says he will establish an everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace (v.7). Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
Isaiah 11:1-5 – The Spirit-anointed king
Isaiah 11 predicts more about the Messiah, saying “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him” (v. 2) and describing his judging the earth with righteousness and slaying the wicked (v. 4). The Gospels present Jesus as the Spirit-anointed king who will return to judge the world in righteousness at the end of the age.
Isaiah 42, 49, 50 – The suffering servant
Isaiah contains four “Servant Songs” that describe a “Servant of the LORD” who suffers on behalf of his people (Isa 42, 49, 50, 52:13-53:12). Details include being chosen by God (42:1), bringing justice (42:1), being humiliated and afflicted (50:6), bearing others’ sins (53:4-6), and being led like a lamb to slaughter (53:7). Jesus fulfilled these prophecies through his atoning death.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – The sacrificial lamb
The fourth Servant Song contains the most vivid prophecy of Christ’s suffering to atone for people’s sins. It declares that “he was pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities” (53:5); that he bore “the iniquity of us all” (53:6); and that “he shall bear their iniquities” (53:11). All this points to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sins.
Isaiah 59:20 – The redeemer will come to Zion
Speaking of a coming redeemer who will atone for transgression, Isaiah 59:20 states, “a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression” (ESV). The apostle Paul applies this prophecy directly to Jesus in Romans 11:26, indicating he is the promised redeemer of Israel.
Jeremiah 23:5 – The righteous branch
Jeremiah prophesied about the coming Messianic king: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5 ESV). Jesus is this righteous branch who reigns justly.
Daniel 7:13-14 – The son of man
Daniel’s vision describes “one like a son of man” coming “with the clouds of heaven” and being given an eternal kingdom by God (Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus frequently identified himself as this coming Son of Man who would be exalted to the right hand of God (Matthew 26:64).
Daniel 9:24-27 – The timing of the Messiah’s coming
Daniel 9 contains a prophecy of 70 weeks leading up to the coming of the Messiah and the restoration of Jerusalem. Christian interpreters link the first 69 weeks to the time between the rebuilding of Jerusalem and Jesus’ triumphal entry, seeing his crucifixion as the event initiating the 70th week.
Micah 5:2 – Born in Bethlehem
Micah 5 famously predicts that the coming ruler of Israel “shall come forth to me out of Bethlehem” (Micah 5:2 ESV). Although Jesus grew up in Nazareth, the Gospels record that he was born in Bethlehem, thus fulfilling Micah’s prophecy about the Messiah’s birthplace (Matthew 2:1-6).
Zechariah 9:9 – The king on a donkey
Zechariah prophesied the manner of the Messiah’s entry into Jerusalem: “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9 ESV). All four Gospels depict Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, explicitly tying this event to Zechariah’s prophecy.
Zechariah 11:12-13 – Sold for thirty pieces of silver
In one of the most uncanny and specific Old Testament prophecies, Zechariah foresaw the coming shepherd of Israel being valued at thirty pieces of silver, which would afterward be thrown to the potter (Zechariah 11:12-13). This was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus for exactly thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), which was later used to buy a potter’s field (Matthew 27:9-10).
Zechariah 12:10 – Pierced by crucifixion
Zechariah 12:10 adds more detail about the Messiah’s suffering, prophesying, “they will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child” (NIV). Jesus’ crucifixion fulfilled this prophecy, as the Gospel of John notes when applying it to Jesus (John 19:37).
Zechariah 13:7 – The shepherd struck
Zechariah continues, “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7 ESV). Jesus quoted this passage on the night of his betrayal (Mark 14:27), indicating he was the shepherd of God’s people who would be struck down, causing his disciples to scatter.
This wide range of Old Testament prophecies provides extensive biblical evidence that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Though written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, the prophets of Israel were given intricate details about the coming Savior that found exact fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
