Old Testament Passages Cited by Jesus

During His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ often quoted passages from the Old Testament. (see the chart, immediately below). He cited scripture in both public and private settings, during His sermons, and in less-formal, one-on-one conversations. Jesus quoted scripture in the temple of Jerusalem, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in the synagogue, and elsewhere. Citing scripture proved to be a powerful tool while dealing with His detractors. Although Jesus cited passages from a number of Old Testament prophets–at least twelve–He most often cited passages from the books of Isaiah and Psalms. During the final moments of His mortal life and while experiencing the agony of the Crucifixion, Jesus uttered words that hearken back to one of the Psalms: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1). 

By citing Old Testament passages, Jesus demonstrated the following: 

• He knew the Old Testament scriptures well! In most settings, Jesus cited a passage from memory; He rarely had copies of scripture in hand to cite from. 
• By citing the prophets of old, Jesus, the God of heaven and earth, was placing a stamp of approval on and lending authority to their writings. This fact does not imply, of course, that Jesus must cite a prophet’s writing in order for that writing to have authority.
• Jesus enhanced His teachings by drawing on the words of the ancient prophets.
• By citing the prophets, Jesus provided scriptural references for His audience. In effect, Jesus was saying that He and the prophets agreed on this or that doctrine or teaching.
• Jesus cited many Old Testament prophecies to demonstrate that they were fulfilled in Him.
• Jesus’s usage of scripture in sermons and during teaching situations serves as an example of how modern-day teachers should teach the gospel—by using the scriptures when appropriate.