Jesus Among the Criminals

Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.

He would be among transgressors.

In Isaiah’s great prophetic chapter 53, he wrote:

“ . . . Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12b.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God gave Isaiah a glimpse into a future event. It would happen in the life of Jesus, The Savior, The Anointed One, The Messiah-which was still in the future during the days of the Old Testament prophets.  

Read Isaiah 53:12b carefully and see exactly what it says:

He poured Himself out to death. (Jesus willingly lays down His life.)

He was numbered with the transgressors. (Jesus was crucified between two thieves.)

He bore the sin of many. (Jesus took on the sins of all mankind.)

He interceded for the transgressors. (Jesus prayed on the cross, “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34.)

There is no doubt this verse in Isaiah described Jesus. Why? Because Jesus Himself said that He fulfilled this verse.

Just hours before Jesus was arrested, He ate the Passover meal with His followers. Christians call this meal the Last Supper. This was the last chance for Jesus to teach His followers before His crucifixion-which He knew would happen the next day. One of the last things Jesus told them before going to the Garden of Gethsemane was how He fulfilled Isaiah 53:12:

“For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” Luke 22:37.

Jesus knew even before His arrest that He would hang on a cross between two criminals. He would fulfill each and every prophecy given throughout the Old Testament.

And every prophecy that is future to us today will be fulfilled exactly as Scripture tells us.

Carla Killough McClafferty