3.5 — Could Jesus Have Deliberately Fulfilled the Prophecies?
One explanation sometimes proposed is that Jesus intentionally shaped His life to resemble the Messiah described in the Hebrew Scriptures.
According to this view, Jesus knew the Scriptures, understood the expectations surrounding the Messiah, and consciously acted in ways that would persuade others He had fulfilled them.
At first glance, this is a reasonable possibility.
If someone believed they were the promised Messiah, they could intentionally carry out certain symbolic actions described in Scripture. Entering Jerusalem on a donkey, for example, was a public act that could have been performed deliberately.
The question, then, is whether every commonly cited Messianic prophecy falls into that category. While some describe actions Jesus could have taken intentionally, others concern circumstances beyond His direct control or the decisions of other people.
Comparing the Types of Fulfillment
| Potentially Within Jesus’ Influence | Largely Outside Jesus’ Influence |
| Entering Jerusalem on a donkey | His ancestry |
| Public teachings | His birthplace |
| Symbolic actions | The period of history into which He was born |
| Public claims | Decisions made by political and religious authorities |
| The actions of His opponents | |
| Roman method of execution | |
| Soldiers casting lots for His clothing | |
| Burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea |
This distinction will serve as a framework for the passages that follow. Each prophecy will first be examined within its original context before being compared with the New Testament accounts.
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→ 3.6 — Exploring the Messianic Prophecies
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→ 3.2 — What Makes a Prophecy Meaningful?
→ 3.3 — Were the Prophecies Really Written Before Jesus?
→ 3.4 — Messianic Expectations Before Jesus
→ 3.5 — Could Jesus Have Deliberately Fulfilled the Prophecies?
A Light to Follow 