1. Considering (a) the magnificent prophecy given by the angel, Gabriel, to the prophet, Daniel, as recorded in Daniel 9:25, that the Messiah would arrive 483 years after the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, (b) that the subject decree was effectively issued by Artaxerxes I Longimanus in 457 BC, suggesting that the Messiah had to arrive in Israel around 27 AD, and considering that this date marks the exact timeframe of the start of Jesus’ ministry in Israel, shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the assertions that Jesus was the Messiah identified in the Daniel 9 prophecy?
2. Considering (a) the magnificent prophecy given by the angel, Gabriel, to the prophet, Daniel, as recorded in Daniel 9:26, that the Messiah would be “cut off” (see also Isaiah 53:8) sometime after the subject period was completed (i.e., shortly after 27 AD) but before another “seven” (i.e., 7 year period) could be completed (otherwise, Gabriel would have added another “seven” to the count), and further considering that (b) Jesus was crucified shortly after 27 AD (and somewhere between 30-33 AD), shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the assertions that Jesus was the Messiah identified in the Daniel 9 prophecy?
3. Considering (a) the magnificent prophecy given by the angel, Gabriel, to the prophet, Daniel, as recorded in Daniel 9:26, that the city of Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed sometime shortly after the subject period and after the Messiah is “cut off,” and further considering that Jesus was crucified before the temple in Israel was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 AD, shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the assertions that Jesus was the Messiah identified in the Daniel 9 prophecy?
4. Considering (a) the magnificent prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 9:1 that God will make the area of Galilee glorious, and (b) the fact that Jesus lived in Nazareth and performed many miracles in Galilee (see Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 2:19-23; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 4:12-25), shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the idea that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Isaiah 9:1 prophecy?
5. Considering the magnificent prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 9:6 that a “Child” will be born to “us,” that a “Son” will be given to “us,” that “the government will rest on His shoulders,” and that “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace,” and the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 that a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son whose name will be called Immanuel (i.e., “God with us”), isn’t it reasonable to conclude that the Messiah will be God and yet born as a human? Considering further that Jesus was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38) and that He was called the “Son of God” (Matthew 4:3, John 1:34, John 1:49, John 20:31) shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the idea that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Isaiah 9:6 and Isaiah 7:14 prophecies?
6. Considering the magnificent prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 9:7 that the Messiah described in Isaiah 9:6 will reign on the throne of David eternally, and the prophecy of Isaiah 11 regarding the Messiah’s coming from “Jesse,” and the prophecy of Nathan the prophet as given to David and recorded in 2 Samuel 7:12-17 that a descendant of David will reign over an eternal kingdom, and further considering that Jesus in the line of David (See Matthew 1 and Luke 2:1-20), should we give serious consideration to the assertions that Jesus was the Messiah?
7. Considering the magnificent prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 53, that a particular man chosen by God would be despised, rejected, the bearer of the sicknesses and sins of humanity, afflicted and struck down by God, “pierced for our offenses,” “crushed for our wrongdoings,” the recipient of humanity’s due punishment, like “a lamb that is led to slaughter,” the source of healing for humanity, the “guilt offering,” the “Servant” of God who is the “Righteous One” who “will justify the many” by “bearing their wrongdoings,” isn’t it reasonable to conclude that the Messiah might indeed be crucified as the Passover lamb for humanity?
8. Considering the magnificent prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 53, that the Messiah’s “grave was assigned with wicked men” and “counted with wrongdoers” (Luke 22:37; Matthew 27:33-44), that “He was with a rich man in His death” (Matthew 27:57-60), he remained silent as He was being judged (Matthew 27:12-14; Mark 14:61), isn’t it reasonable to say that Jesus’ crucifixion presents striking parallels to the Isaiah 53 prophecy?
9. Considering that John the Baptist, in the priestly line of Aaron as the son of Zechariah, a priest of the division of Abijah who had a wife from the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1) and who was miraculously born following a word from the angel, Gabriel, who prophesied that John the Baptist “will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God, “will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:8-17), declared Jesus to be “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), isn’t it reasonable to give serious consideration to John the Baptist’s declaration?
10. Considering King David’s prophecy, as recorded in Psalm 22:1-18, that he is a “disgrace of mankind and despised by people,” subject to derision by all who see him and who say “let [God] rescue him,” poured out like water, surrounded by dogs, encompassed by evildoers who pierced his hands and his feet, stared at by people who cast lots for his clothing, isn’t it reasonable to conclude that David, who did not experience these circumstances, was prophesying about a future Messiah who would be crucified?
11. Considering the declaration and prophecy of God in Zechariah 12:10, “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn,” isn’t it reasonable to conclude that when the Messiah comes to Israel and Jerusalem, before the nation celebrates, it will first mourn greatly because the nation previously “pierced” the Messiah—suggesting that the Messiah had previously come to Israel only to be put to death?
12. Considering the judgment and prophecy of God spoken to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, as recorded in Genesis 3:15, isn’t it reasonable to conclude that the One who bruises Satan’s head (a) will be born of a woman and (b) will actually have his heel bruised (i.e., such as in a crucifixion)?
13. Considering the incredible text of Proverbs 30:1-4, isn’t it reasonable to conclude that God has a Son?
14. Considering the amazing prophecy of Micah 5:2, that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem (along with a suggestion that He existed from eternity past) and the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-7), should we not give serious consideration to Jesus as being the Messiah?
15. Considering the declaration of God as recorded in Hosea 11:1 that “out of Egypt” God called His Son, and the fact that Jesus as a baby was taken to Egypt to hide Him from Herod (Matthew 2:13-15), shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the idea that Jesus, like Israel, was taken to and called out of Egypt—fulfilling the declaration and prophecy of God in Hosea 11:1?
16. Considering the prophecy of Balaam as recorded in Numbers 24:17 that a star shall appear from Jacob and the fact that magi came to Jerusalem looking for the child king because they saw “His star” (Matthew 2:1-12), shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the idea that Jesus is the star of Jacob and King of Israel?
17. Considering the prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 35:5-6 (as well as related prophecies) that the Messiah will bring healing to people and the fact that the Gospels record Jesus as providing many instances of healing people of being blind, deaf, leprous, mute, and lame, shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the idea that Jesus is the Messiah identified in the Isaiah 35:5-6 prophecy?
18. Considering that Zechariah 9:9 indicates that the Messiah will ride into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, and Matthew 21:1-11 indicates that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey a week prior to His crucifixion, while many in Jerusalem gathered to lay their coats and palm branches along His path and cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is the One Who comes in the Name of the Lord!” isn’t it reasonable to give serious consideration to the idea that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy?
19. Considering the amazing complaint of God as recorded in Zechariah 11:12-13 that He was being valued at 30 pieces of silver, and the fact that Jesus was betrayed by one of His disciples for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26-27), shouldn’t we give serious consideration to the idea that God’s statement in Zechariah was a prophecy to be connected to Jesus?
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