J. WARNER WALLACE — Much has been written about the way Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament prophets. In fact, the New Testament authors often paused to highlight the many aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry that were a direct fulfillment of ancient prophecies related to the Messiah. But while most of us are familiar with Jesus’ prophetic fulfillments, few of us stop to think about Jesus’ own prophetic statements. The ancient Christian theologian Origen (born in the 2^nd Century) reported that the Greek writer Phlegon was aware of Jesus’ prophetic power:

“Now Phlegon, in the thirteenth or fourteenth book, I think, of his Chronicles, not only ascribed to Jesus a knowledge of future events (although falling into confusion about some things which refer to Peter, as if they referred to Jesus), but also testified that the result corresponded to his predictions.” (Origen, “Origen Against Celsus.”)

Most of us would have some difficulty recalling the many ways that Jesus had an accurate “knowledge of future events,” even though we may be familiar with the ways Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. So here are a few to keep in mind:

Jesus Told Peter That He Would Deny Him Three Times

“And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’” (Luke 22:33-34)

Jesus Said That Jerusalem and the Temple Would Be Destroyed

“Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:23-24)

“As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’” (Matthew 24:1-2)

Jesus Said the Church Would Survive and Grow

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.'” (Matthew 16:16-18)

Jesus Said the Gospel Would Be Preached to the Entire World

“And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

Jesus Said His Words Would Never Be Forgotten

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33)

Of all these prophetic statements, the one that most impresses me is Jesus’ prediction of the Temple’s destruction. Jesus told His followers that the Temple would be destroyed, and it didn’t happen until nearly forty years after his crucifixion and resurrection.

This fulfilled prophecy is an important piece of evidence, not only for the divine power of Jesus, but also for the early dating of the Gospels. As I illustrate in the second section of Cold Case Christianity, the absence of any New Testament description of the destruction of the Temple is best explained by the fact that the documents were written prior to this event. No author tried to demonstrate Jesus’ accuracy related to the Temple prophecy because the destruction had not yet occurred. The gospels and the Book of Acts were written before this event. This prophecy is an important piece of evidence.

So while most of us, as Christian case makers, have taken the time to familiarize ourselves with the prophecies Jesus fulfilled, it’s also important for us to familiarize ourselves with the prophecies Jesus spoke.

Originally published January 7, 2016 at Cold Case Christianity. Used by permission.