How Jesus Fulfilled Impossible Prophecies

If you think it’s hard to predict the winning numbers for a lottery jackpot, imagine predicting the intricate details of someone’s life centuries before they were even born. That’s exactly what the Old Testament prophets did regarding the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Over 300 specific prophecies, written centuries apart by different authors, somehow converged in the life of one man in ancient Israel. Among the many impossible prophecies Jesus fulfilled, perhaps none is more striking than His virgin birth. Foretold by Isaiah some 700 years before Christ’s birth, this biologically impossible event set the stage for a life that would defy all odds. How Jesus fulfilled impossible prophecies like this one is a testament to His unique identity and mission.

The mathematical odds of even a handful of these prophecies being fulfilled by random chance are infinitesimally small. Yet, Jesus checked off detail after detail as recorded in the gospels. The implications of this are staggering. Consider these categories:

His Birth The prophet Micah foretold the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), which Jesus was, as records confirm (Matthew 2:1). Isaiah prophesied He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), which the gospel writers affirm about Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).

• The odds of even these two prophecies converging by chance have been calculated at around 1 in 500,000.

His Ministry The Old Testament predicted the Messiah would perform miraculous healings (Isaiah 35:5-6) and teach in parables (Psalm 78:2), which Jesus did frequently during His public ministry as recorded in the gospels. It foretold He would enter Jerusalem as a humble king riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), which the gospel writers depict Jesus fulfilling explicitly (Matthew 21:1-11).

• The combined odds of these three prophecies alone being fulfilled start to stretch towards 1 in ten billion.

His Death Astonishingly, the Old Testament prophets laid out vivid details about how the Messiah would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13), have his hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22:16), have his garments divided by the casting of lots (Psalm 22:18), and more—all of which happened precisely to Jesus at His crucifixion as documented by the gospel writers.

• The probabilities of these being mere coincidences drop to 1 in tens of trillions.

His Resurrection Incredibly, Old Testament prophecies even foretold the Messiah would have no bones broken (Psalm 34:20), and would be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9)—details which the gospel narratives record happening in Jesus’ death and burial.

• The odds of these minute details, woven throughout various Old Testament books, being accurately fulfilled in one person are so infinitesimally small, they become practically impossible by random chance alone.

How Jesus Fulfilled Impossible Prophecies: A 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 Shot

Mathematics professor Peter Stoner calculated the probability of just 8 of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person by chance is around 1 in 10^17 (that’s 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000).

The Israel Illustration: To Help You Grasp the Odds

Imagine covering all of Israel two feet deep in silver dollars. Now, mark just one of those coins. Blindfold someone and ask them to walk across the country, reach down once, and find that single marked coin on their first try. Those are the odds of one person fulfilling just 8 of these prophecies by chance. Yet Jesus fulfilled over 300.

Conclusion: The evidence is undeniable. The only rational conclusion is that Jesus was precisely who He claimed to be—the divine Son of God and promised Messiah. No other figure in history comes close to accomplishing anything remotely like this. The fulfilment of these ancient prophecies stands as a powerful testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ and of the divine inspiration of the Bible.

If these mathematical probabilities do intrigue us, may we be urged to dig deeper. Let’s investigate the historical evidence for the reliability of the gospel accounts. Let’s read the prophecies and their fulfilments for ourselves. Then, let’s wrestle with the inevitable question—if Jesus was who He said He was, how ought we to respond? The evidence deserves an honest look with an open mind and heart.

Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance.

Wait, Here’s More on Fulfilled Prophecies in Scripture:

• Cyrus? Cyrus Who? An Astonishing Prophecy Fulfilled
• Ten Astonishing Bible Prophecies Fulfilled
• The Promised Messiah: Is it Jesus, Or Do We Look For Another?