Editing Passion of Jesus (section)

== Biblical prophecies ==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2019}}

=== Old Testament prophecy ===
[[File:Man lorenzetti.jpg|thumb|left|''Christ as [[Man of Sorrows]]'' by [[Pietro Lorenzetti]], c. 1330 ([[Lindenau-Museum]], [[Altenburg]])]]

Christians interpret at least three passages of the Old Testament as prophecies about Jesus' Passion.

The first and most obvious is the one from {{bibleverse||Isaiah|52:13–53:12|HE}} (either 8th or 6th century BC).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilken |first=Robert L. |title=Isaiah: Interpreted by Early Christian and Medieval Commentators (The Church's Bible) |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-8028-7981-3 |location=Grand Rapids, MI |language=English}}</ref> This prophetic oracle describes a sinless man who will atone for the sins of his people. By his voluntary suffering, he will save sinners from the just punishment of God. The death of Jesus is said to fulfill this prophecy. For example, "He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed" ({{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|53:2–5|HE}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Prophecy of Isaias {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/prophecy-of-isaias-12347 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060907/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/prophecy-of-isaias-12347 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The second prophecy of Christ's Passion is the ancient text which Jesus himself quoted, while he was dying on the cross. From the cross, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "''Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"'' which means, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" These words of Jesus were a quotation of the ancient {{Bibleverse||Psalm||22|HE}}. [[King David]], in [[Psalm]] 22, foretold the sufferings of the messiah. For example, "I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people. All who see me, laugh me to scorn, they draw apart their lips, and wag their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord: let him free him, let him deliver him if he loves him.' Stand not far from me, for I am troubled; be thou near at hand: for I have no helper. ...Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet&nbsp;– I can count all my bones&nbsp;– they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots" ({{bibleverse||Psalm|22:7–19|HE}}). The words "[[they have pierced my hands and feet]]" are disputed, however.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Buckler |first=F. W. |date=1938 |title='Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?' |journal=The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=378–391 |doi=10.1086/amerjsemilanglit.55.4.3088119 |jstor=3088119 |s2cid=170741787 |issn=1062-0516}}</ref>

The third main prophecy of the Passion is from the [[Book of Wisdom|Book of the Wisdom of Solomon]]. Protestant Christians place it in the [[Biblical apocrypha|Apocrypha]], [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]s and [[Eastern Orthodox]] among the [[deuterocanonical]] books. But it was written about 150 BC, and many have understood these verses (12–20 of chapter 2) as a direct prophecy of Jesus' Passion. For example, "Let us lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn. ...He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God ... and glorieth that he hath God for his father. Let us see then if his words be true. ...For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Let us examine him by outrages and tortures. ...Let us condemn him to a most shameful death. ...These things they thought, and were deceived, for their own malice blinded them" (Wisdom 2:12–20).

In addition to the above, it deserves to be mentioned that at least three other, less elaborate messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion, namely, the following Old Testament passages:

"Many are the afflictions of the just man; but the Lord delivers him from all of them. He guards all his bones: not even one of them shall be broken" ({{bibleverse||Psalm|34:20|HE}}).

"And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" ({{bibleverse||Psalm|69:21|HE}}).

"And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son; and they shall grieve over him, as the manner is to grieve for the death of the firstborn" ({{bibleverse||Zechariah|12:10|HE}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wisdom of Solomon {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/wisdom-of-solomon-12472 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060908/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/wisdom-of-solomon-12472 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== New Testament prophecy ===
[[File:Stolb2.jpg|thumb|Fragment of the Pillar of the [[Flagellation]], [[Church of St George, Istanbul|Hagios Georgios]] Patriarchal Church, [[Istanbul]].]]

The Gospel explains how these old prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus' crucifixion.

"So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Jesus; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. ...For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, 'Not a bone of him shall be broken.' And again another scripture says, 'They shall look on him whom they have pierced'" ({{bibleverse||John|19:32–37|KJV}}).

In the [[Gospel of Mark]], Jesus is described as prophesying his own Passion and his Resurrection three times:
*On the way to [[Caesarea Philippi]], predicting that the ''Son of Man'' will be killed and rise within three days.
*After the [[transfiguration of Jesus]], again predicting that the ''Son of Man'' will be killed and rise within three days.
*On the way to Jerusalem, predicting that the ''Son of Man'' will be delivered to the leading [[Pharisees]] and [[Sadducees]], be condemned to death, delivered to the [[Gentiles]], mocked, scourged, killed, and rise within three days.

Christians argue that these are cases of genuine and fulfilled [[prophecy]] and many scholars see [[ancient Semitic religion|Semitic features and tradition]] in {{bibleverse||Mark|9:31|KJV}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1997|p=140}}</ref>
[[File:The Scourging of Christ by Albrecht Dürer.jpg|thumb|[[Albrecht Dürer]], ''The Scourging of Christ'', circa 1511.]]
After the third prophecy, the Gospel of Mark states that the brothers [[James the Great|James]] and [[John the Apostle|John]] ask Jesus to be his left and right hand men, but Jesus asks if they can drink from the "cup" he must drink from. They say that they can do this. Jesus confirms this, but says that the places at his right and left hand are reserved for others. Many Christian see this as being a reference to the two criminals at Jesus's crucifixion, thus relating to the Passion. The "cup" is sometimes interpreted as the symbol of his death, in the light of Jesus's prayer at Gethsemane "Let this cup be taken from me!"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Messianic Prophecies Lectures {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/messianic-prophecies-lectures-12401 |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024060909/https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/messianic-prophecies-lectures-12401 |url-status=live |author-last1=Most|author-first1=William}}</ref>