Jesus Predicted His Own Death Three Times

Thanks Morguefile.com

Did you know Jesus actually predicted his death three times? Jesus knew exactly what he was walking into when he walked into Jerusalem for Passover the year he was crucified.

This is prophecy. Telling what is going to happen in the future is prophecy. Having it come true perfectly in every detail is the fulfillment of prophecy.

Here are the places in Scripture where Jesus told his disciples he was going to die three different times:

"From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21).

"When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.' And the disciples were filled with grief" (Matthew 17:22-23).

"Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!' " (Matthew 20:17-19).

See also records of these same incidents written by other disciples in Mark 8:31-37 and Luke 9:22-25.

Jesus' disciples had a hard time believing it. When I try to put myself in their shoes, imaging I know only what they knew at the time, I certainly can't blame them.

Look at it this way: The disciples were in training. Jesus was training them to trust him, to believe him, to listen to what he was saying and know that what he predicted would come true.

We also are in training. Jesus—who is God come in the flesh—knows what is coming. He already sees it. He has already told us everything we need to know about what's coming. Do you trust him? Do you believe him? Do you know that what he predicted will come true?

Does the fact that he already knows, and has given us everything we need to know in his Word, bring you comfort?

It should. If you are his, if you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you are his. If you are willing to follow him, he will lead you into his perfect will for you. And there is no safer place to be than in the center of God's will.

In what area of your life do you need to trust God?

What has Jesus said in the Bible that you need to listen to and believe?

Do you believe God/Jesus knows exactly what we are walking into in our future? (Tweet that!)

In what areas do you need to trust that Jesus has predicted exactly what is going to happen in our future, that he is in complete control of it, and that he will carry you through whatever comes? (Tweet that!)