Scriptures Understood as Messianic Texts and Applied them to Christ in the NT

Prasha Maharjan

Acts 4 is an account of Peter and John who were seized and brought to the Jerusalem council. Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of high priest’s family were there to interrogate them. Some of them in the Jerusalem Council were also a group of people who were involved in crucifying Jesus. They were thus displeased that Peter and John were preaching the gospel. They demanded of Peter and John to stop preaching. However, Peter and John filled with the Holy Spirit replied that they had the authority from heaven to do so. They had a witness to testify to what they were preaching- a crippled man for forty years was miraculous healed through their prayers in the name of Jesus. Both were then released with the warning that they not preach the gospel anymore. Later, they shared all this with their people and recalled Psalm 2 “Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against the Anointed One.”

The messianic importance of Psalm 2 was fulfillment of the scripture that King David penned down. The rulers of the earth would gather together to torture and plot against the people of God. This came true when Jesus was crucified and in the above incident as well.

In Matthew 21 is the account of Jesus entering the temple and overturning the tables. He was furious that people were using the temple of God for inferior and unholy purposes. The blind and the lame came to Jesus and he healed them in the temple. Children were exclaiming, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. At this, the chief priests and the teachers of the law were indignant and asked Jesus what all that was about. Jesus simply quoted Psalm 8:2, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

This was another prophecy about the Messiah that children and infants through their innocent faith would silence the learned and self-proclaimed holy men. It is not the proud ones who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven but the ones who have faith.

Psalm 22 has significant scriptures foreshadowing the ways the Messiah would be crucified. Throughout the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John- we see several prophetic scriptures from Psalm 22 being fulfilled. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, he exclaimed Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” King David who is a part of what Christ would be spoke these words when in despair. Similarly, there were people around him proclaiming, “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him.” Furthermore in Luke and John, there is a clear depiction of the Jesus’ crucifixion. The enemies pierced Jesus’ hands and feet, they stared and gloated over him and also divided his garments among them and cast lots for his clothing. All these prophesy in the Psalms came to happen in the life and death of Christ so the scriptures may be fulfilled.

Psalm 45:7 recurs in Hebrews 1:8-9. The author of Hebrews is showing how Jesus is the most superior of angels. God did not call other angels ‘my son’. But God was pleased with his Son because Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God set him above his companions by anointing him with the oil of joy. Truly, Jesus was a sinless man and lived a sinless life while on earth. The messianic importance is the significance of Jesus’ holiness that sets him apart from all other angels.

Psalm 110:1 occurs in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. All these gospels account the day when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in the synagogues. The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with their smart questions. Then Jesus asked them who the son of David was and why David had written- The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” This has an importance messianic significance. Jesus was from the line of David’s genealogy. It was prophesied that the Messiah would come from David’s blood line. Yet David called the Son Lord in the Spirit. This is a powerful allusion of the equality of Christ with the Lord. He only kept those on his right hand that he highly favored. God highly favored Christ and promised to make all his enemies his footstool. Jesus, the Son of God would crush his enemies and be resurrected and be at the right hand of God.