More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Week 8: Chapter 8 — Did Jesus Fulfill Old Testament Prophecy?
Read Chapter 8 of More Than a Carpenter. Key passages: Isaiah 53; Micah 5:2; Psalm 22; Zechariah 11:12–13.
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The argument from prophecy has convinced many skeptics and baffled many critics — but it also raises honest questions about coincidence, interpretation, and selection bias. Engage it with both openness and rigor.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.McDowell presents a series of Old Testament prophecies that he argues were fulfilled specifically and verifiably in the life of Jesus — including the place of his birth, the manner of his entry into Jerusalem, the price of his betrayal, and details of his crucifixion. List two or three of these that struck you as most specific or surprising.
2.McDowell employs a probability argument — drawing on the work of mathematician Peter Stoner — to calculate the odds of any one person fulfilling even a small selection of these prophecies by chance. What is the purpose of this kind of probabilistic argument? Does it persuade you, or does it feel like it oversimplifies a complex issue?
3.A common objection is that Jesus (or the Gospel writers) deliberately arranged events to match Old Testament prophecy. McDowell responds that many of the prophecies involve events Jesus could not have controlled — such as his birthplace, the manner of his death, and the casting of lots for his clothing. How does this response address the objection?
a.Which prophecies could theoretically have been staged?
b.Which ones could not have been staged? What does that list tell us?
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