Hi, welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host for the Daily Challenges. Yesterday we read the story of God’s promises given in prophecies hundreds of years before Jesus walked on the earth.

We read a particular passage from Jeremiah, where God promised that better days were on the way for the Israelites, a people who’d been overthrown by the Babylonians, who now occupied their Promised Land.

In Jesus’ day, these passages would be well known.  People were oppressed by a new occupying power, this time it was the Roman Empire.  There were high hopes that these promises would soon come true, and that God would send that promised king, known as the Messiah.  People expected that Messiah to come with military might and overthrow the Roman government and military.

The Messiah did come in their lifetime, but not in the way they expected.  Jesus came first as the suffering servant (see Isaiah 53), drawing people to himself through his perfect life and his message of repentance. One day, however, Jesus will return to complete his fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and rule as king over all heaven and earth.

He fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah all through the Old Testament, in a much better way than anyone imagined.  He gave them the king they needed, not necessarily the king they wanted!

We read just one prophecy, from Jeremiah, and mentioned one from Isaiah, but there are many.  I have a big task for you – I want you to go through the list of passages in this posting, and try to get a big picture view of the Messiah promised in these prophecies.

Question:

Read the following.  Consider – what might people have expected, and how did Jesus do better?

Isaiah 7:14—Virgin Birth fulfilled in Luke 1:26-27; 2:7

Micah 5:2—Birthplace fulfilled in Matthew 2:1

Psalm 72:10—Presented with gifts fulfilled in Matthew 2:1, 11

Isaiah 40:3—Preceded by a messenger fulfilled in Luke 1:13, 17

Malachi 3:1—Enters the Temple fulfilled in Matthew 21:12

Zechariah 9:9—Enters Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilled in Luke 19:35-37

Psalm 16:10—Resurrection fulfilled in Mark 16:6

Psalm 68:18a—Ascension fulfilled in Acts 1:9

Psalm 41:9—Betrayed by a friend fulfilled in John 13:21, 30

Zechariah 11:12—Sold for 30 pieces of silver fulfilled in Matthew 26:15

Zechariah 13:7—Forsaken by disciples fulfilled in Mark 14:50

Psalm 35:11—Accused by false witnesses fulfilled in Matthew 26:59-61

Psalm 22:16—Hands and feet pierced fulfilled in Luke 23:33

Isaiah 53:12—Crucified with robbers fulfilled in Matthew 27:38

Isaiah 53:12—Intercedes for persecutors fulfilled in Luke 23:34

Psalm 69:4—Hated without cause fulfilled in John 15:25

Psalm 22:18—Garments parted and lots cast fulfilled in John 19:23-24

Psalm 69:21—Vinegar offered fulfilled in Matthew 27:34

Psalm 34:20—Bones not broken fulfilled in John 19:33

Zechariah 12:10—Side pierced fulfilled in John 19:34

Amos 8:9—Darkness over land fulfilled in Matthew 27:45

Isaiah 53:9—Buried in rich man’s grave fulfilled in Matthew 27:57-60