Question
What Old Testament prophecies did Jesus fulfill? (the messianic prophecies)
Analysis
The pattern the New Testament draws
The Gospel writers, especially Matthew, repeatedly say an event happened '…' The clearest single passage is Isaiah 53, written centuries before, describing a servant 'despised and rejected,' 'pierced for our transgressions,' silent before his accusers, and buried with the rich, who bears the sins of many and is then vindicated (Isaiah 53:3; Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 53:7; Isaiah 53:9). The New Testament applies it directly to Jesus (1 Peter 2:24; Acts 8:32–Acts 8:35). Likewise Psalms 22, opening with the very words Jesus cried from the cross (Psalms 22:1; Matthew 27:46), describes pierced hands and feet and soldiers gambling for clothing, details the crucifixion accounts report (John 19:23; John 19:24).
How to weigh it fairly
These fulfillments are a central plank of Christian claims that Jesus is the Messiah, and the correspondences are striking. In fairness: some prophecies are read as direct predictions, others as typological (an earlier person or event patterning a greater one); and Jewish interpreters have historically read a number of these texts differently (for example, taking Isaiah's 'servant' as the nation of Israel). Presenting the prophecies honestly means showing both the New Testament's fulfillment claims and that the readings are debated, the strength of the case is a matter readers can examine for themselves by tracing each reference.