Christmas and Prophecy
THE BIRTH OF JESUS WAS FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE…Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, life, and death are called “Messianic Prophecies”…
BECAUSE JESUS’ BIRTH FULFILLED THESE AND OTHER O.T. PROPHECIES, we see primary proof that…
GOD’S WORD IS SURE AND RELIABLE…
NKJ Psalm 19:7-8 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
NKJ Psalm 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law (תּוֹרָה to-rah, teaching, instruction, including prophecy) is truth.
NKJ Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
LET’S LOOK AT CHRISTMAS AND PROPHECY from the Book of Isaiah. First the O.T. passage and then its N.T. fulfillment or corollary pointing to future fulfillment. Please don’t let these words just roll over you. Consider the astounding, unprecedented reality they describe. Keep firmly in mind while you read these words from Holy Scripture that Isaiah was written some 700 years before the birth of Christ! Also, it should be pointed out that while I will only be giving you one or two examples from the N.T., many others could be cited…
LISTEN TO THE BEAUTY AND THE WONDER OF GOD’S WORD… Much of what I will be doing in this message is simply reading God’s Word and allowing the Scripture to speak for itself…
1. He will be called before His birth to be God’s Servant:
NKJ Isaiah 49:1 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
NKJ Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
NAS Philippians 2:6-8 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
2. His birth will involve a star:
KJV Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
KJV Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3. He will be born of a virgin:
NKJ Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
KJG Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Surely some of the most beautiful words ever uttered…
4. He will be a Descendant of Jesse and thus in the Davidic line:
NKJ Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
NAS Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
NKJ Revelation 5:5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
5. He will be born in Bethlehem:
KJV Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
KJV Matthew 2:4-6 And when he (Herod) had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
6. He will bring light to Israel:
NKJ Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.
NKJ Luke 1:78-79 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
7. He will be a light to the Gentiles:
NKJ Isaiah 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
NKJ John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
NKJ John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
8. He will govern the world:
NKJ Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
NKJ Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
NKJ Revelation 12:5 She (Israel) bore a male Child (Christ) who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
9. He will be empowered by the Holy Spirit:
NKJ Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
NKJ John 1:32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
10. He will be obedient to God in His mission:
NAS Isaiah 50:4-5 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back.
NKJ John 8:29 “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
NKJ John 15:10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11. He will be gentle toward the weak:
NKJ Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
NKJ Matthew 11:5 “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
NKJ Matthew 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
12. He will be rejected by Israel:
NKJ Isaiah 49:7 Thus says the LORD, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the LORD who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.”
NKJ Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
NKJ Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,
NKJ Matthew 27:41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said,
13. He will voluntarily submit to suffering:
NKJ Isaiah 50:6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
NKJ Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
NKJ Matthew 27:26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
NKJ Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,
NKJ Mark 15:19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
14. He will take on Himself the sins of the world:
NKJ Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
NKJ Matthew 8:16-17 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon- possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”
NKJ 1 Peter 2:24-25 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
NKJ Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
NAS Romans 4:25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
15. He will triumph over death:
NKJ Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
NKJ John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
NKJ Matthew 26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
16. He will be exalted:
NKJ Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
NKJ Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
THE BIRTH AND MINISTRY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST was prophesied in the O.T. and fulfilled or correlated with an eye on future fulfillment in the N.T….
KJV Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (This verse is usually quoted with reference to the law. We commonly say, “Jesus fulfilled the law.” Yes, certainly He did. But this verse also says He fulfilled the prophets…
GOD’S WORD IS SURE… Jesus fulfilled or will fulfill the ancient prophecies of the O.T. God’s Word may be trusted. God’s Word is sure…
SO, THE CHRISTMAS STORY BEGINS EARLIER THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT… several hundred years earlier. One O.T. prophecy after another promised that Jesus would come, be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, die on the Cross for the sins of the world, and be resurrected from the grave…
CHRISTMAS AND PROPHECY… Let’s begin this Christmas season by humbly reflecting on the miracle of fulfilled prophecy…
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
