‘“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:27).’
What a privilege it was for the two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus when the risen Jesus drew alongside them and started a conversation (Luke 24:15). This was no accident; for He wanted to reveal Himself to them (v. 31). He wanted them to know how the OT Scriptures prophesied of all the things that had taken place ‘concerning Him (v 27).’
He said to them, ‘“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and enter into His glory (vv. 25, 26)?”’
People have speculated as to the exact Scriptures Jesus drew their attention to. Since many biblical scholars believe Moses was the author or the first five books of the Old Testament (cf. Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:24), and Jesus Himself said Moses had written about Him (John 5:45-47), He may well have started with Genesis 3:15: ‘“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”’
These were the words of the LORD, when He spoke to the serpent [*satan] after deceiving Eve into eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:9,17). The ‘Seed’ of 3:15 is the Lord Jesus, whose physical ancestry as a Man can be traced back to Adam and Eve (Luke 3:23-38).
He was ‘bruised’ at the crucifixion, when He voluntarily gave up His life (John 19:30). This ‘bruising’ of the heel by satan was not fatal, because God the Father raised His Son to life (Galatians 1:1), and thus the tables were turned on the evil one for evermore.
Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so all those who believe in Him will be raised to life (1 Corinthians 15:42). Hence, satan, the perpetrator of sin and death, was overcome at the resurrection. At that time he was fatally ‘bruised’ to the head (Genesis 3:15); thus Jesus overcame him who had ‘the power of death (Hebrews 2:14, 15),’ and at the last day he will be consigned to ‘the lake of fire and brimstone),’ where he ‘will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10).’
Other Scriptures
In addition to the prophesy cited above there are at least 23 other OT scriptural passages that foretell of things that would happen concerning Jesus. One of the most revelatory is Isaiah 53:1-12, which describes the suffering and rejection our Lord would have to endure, and it tells of how He heals His people spiritually today by bearing our sins.
Jeremiah prophesied that Jesus would be a descendant of David:
‘“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:5-6).”’
One of the most informative and telling prophesies is Isaiah 9:6-7: ‘For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder: and his name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.’
This prophesies of the time to come when all the saved will be gathered in the new kingdom of God in His new earth (Revelation 21:1), where they will live in perfect peace forever.
I could continue for a very long time commenting on the other prophesies, but it’s not appropriate here; therefore I’ll leave you with a list of them in biblical order, starting with Genesis and ending with Malachi:
Genesis 3:15; 49:10
Numbers 21:6-9
Deuteronomy 18:15
2 Samuel 7:12-16
Psalms 16:9-10
Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 40:10-11; 50:6; 52:13-14; 53:1-12
Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:14-15
Ezekiel 34:23; 37:25
Daniel 7:13; 9:24-26
Micah 5:2-4; 7:20
Zechariah 9:9; 13:7
Malachi 3:1-3; 4:2
All of the above prophesies harmoniously dovetail into God’s holy word, the Bible. They speak of times past, present and future. They are there for our ‘instruction in righteousness’ that we may be ‘thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16).’
Peter wrote: ‘We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).’
*Beware of Satan
The Biblical Way 