In this penultimate sermon from his Christian Evidence series, Cole Tuck explores “Fulfilled Prophecy” as powerful proof of the Bible’s divine inspiration. Delivered on November 2, 2025, Cole highlights how the Scriptures accurately foretold historical events centuries in advance, from the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 to intricate details of Jesus’ betrayal, crucifixion, and sacrificial death. Drawing on Old Testament prophecies like those in Zechariah, Psalms, and Isaiah, he contrasts failed human predictions with the Bible’s flawless track record, urging listeners to recognize this as evidence of God’s truth and the redemptive message of Jesus’ love.
Talking Points
- Introduction to the Series: This is the second-to-last lesson in a series on Christian evidences, recapping prior arguments like the Kalam Cosmological Argument, Intelligent Design, Moral Argument, and scientific foreknowledge in the Bible, shifting focus to specific prophecies validating Christianity.
- Challenges of Human Prediction: Uses examples like Chicken Little, Y2K, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ failed prophecies, and Ken Olson’s dismissal of home computers to illustrate how difficult it is for humans to accurately predict the future, contrasting this with the Bible’s precision.
- Examples of Fulfilled Prophecies: Mentions prophecies such as Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, flight to Egypt, entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, Babylonian captivity and return, Cyrus rebuilding Jerusalem (named 150 years early), destruction of Tyre by Alexander the Great, Daniel’s sequence of empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome), and cities like Babylon and Edom never being rebuilt.
- Destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70): Jesus predicted in AD 30 (Luke 19, 21; Matthew 24) that Jerusalem and its temple would be surrounded by armies, destroyed stone by stone, with many slaughtered or enslaved—all within “this generation.” Fulfilled by Roman general Titus, as recorded by Josephus, with over a million deaths.
- Betrayal Price of Jesus: Zechariah (520-518 BC) prophesied the Messiah’s betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (slave price per Exodus), thrown into the temple and given to a potter. Fulfilled exactly by Judas’ actions and the purchase of the potter’s field (Matthew 26-27).
- Details of Crucifixion: Prophesied in Psalms, Isaiah, and others (1000-500 BC) before crucifixion was invented (Persians ~500 BC, Romans ~200 BC). Includes betrayal by a friend, false accusations, silence before accusers, scourging, piercing of hands/feet, mocking, thirst, divided garments, unbroken bones, death with criminals, and burial with the rich— all matching Jesus’ execution.
- Isaiah 53 as a Portrait of Jesus: Written ~740-700 BC, vividly describes Jesus’ humble life, rejection, suffering, substitutionary death for sins, silence, and resurrection—700 years before his birth, so detailed it often seems post-event.
- Call to Faith: Emphasizes the Bible’s 100% prophetic accuracy as evidence of divine authorship, challenging skeptics to find anyone else matching these details. Concludes with the Bible’s core message: God’s love and salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice.