Jesus Prays

January 25

As He hangs on the cross, just before taking His last few breaths, Jesus speaks those three epic words, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Notice that He doesn’t say, “I am finished.” He says, “It is finished.” But what was finished? His life? His ministry?

Everything necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled was finished. (John 19:28) Nothing was overlooked. Nothing was left. It was finished, and it will never need additional work. Where many religions—and many religious Christian Bible teachers—tell followers that they must do, do not; do, do not, Jesus steps up, stretches out His arms and says, “DONE!” He uniquely fulfilled over three hundred Old Testament prophecies—a feat mathematically impossible for anyone to do—yet He fulfilled all of them!

Notice how many times John says (especially in this chapter) that something happened, so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled. (John 19:24, 28, 36) Plain and simple, Jesus came to fulfill Scripture and glorify His Father. (Matthew 5:17; John 17:4–5)

For this and many other reasons, the Old Testament cannot be “unhitched” from the New Testament. The New Testament did not appear in a vacuum. It is part two of the Bible. It is, as radio commentator Paul Harvey once said: “The rest of the story.”

If you have a Bible with cross references, take a look at the number of Old Testament verses that appear in the notes. (By the way, your Bible doesn’t show all of them.) To help us identify these important places in the Bible, a reference Bible will often highlight Old Testament quotations in bold or italic typefaces or use block quotations.

Scholars estimate that the New Testament contains some 200-300 direct quotations from the Old Testament. However, New Testament writers don’t always quote Old Testament verses directly, reference a specific prophet, or signal a quote with a “thus says the Lord.” Many times they simply “nod” or allude to a verse.

Estimates on these references increase the quotation total to around 1,000 or more. Still, other sources suggest that this total could be as high as 1,640 when we include all possible allusions. What we should take away from this as believers and Bible students, though, is that the Bible contains a harmony and interconnectedness between the Old and New Testament that defies all natural explanation.

Think about it: getting just one room of people to agree on one thing can be a laborious task, and the more controversial the subject, the less likely we are to reach agreement. Ask presidents and diplomats. Ask doctors, lawyers, judges, jurors, realtors, and beyond.

Now, consider how improbable an agreement becomes if we fill this same room with people of different ages, vocations, backgrounds, experiences, etc. Like Jesus fulfilling prophecies, the odds are simply mathematically impossible. The Bible was penned by 40 different authors, across 1,500 years, in three languages, on three continents, in 13 different countries, and by vocations ranging from kings to cattle ranchers, physicians to fisherman, military leaders to tax collectors, yet it’s doctrine and thematic unity are impeccable. Its text holds no contradictions!

So, yes, everything about the Christian Faith—from the Book we read to the Person it’s about, from the prophecies He fulfilled to the miracles He performed—is supernatural. And, that is exactly what we should expect, and what still sets the Christianity apart from every other religion and Jesus from every other would-be savior!

Application

What relief does it give you that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies? What relief does it give you that the Bible exhibits such supernatural qualities and perfections?

What relief does it give you to know that “you contribute nothing to your salvation, except the sin that made it necessary”? (Jonathan Edwards, Puritan pastor) What relief does it give you to know that Jesus secured salvation for everyone who would turn from their own way of trying to justify themselves before God and turn to Him instead?

Have you come to a point in your life where you realized that you needed a Savior—not just an “out there” God? You need a relationship with “a God Who is here”—the Creator of the Universe Who has all power and authority over everything. If you want to know more, please reach out to me. Let’s talk.

© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman