Prophesy Foretold

This past Sunday was the second Sunday of Advent.  The trees and decorations are up.  Celebrations are about to begin, if they haven't already.  This is truly the "Most Wonderful Time of Year", don't you think?  

If we're going to celebrate the coming of Christ this season, we must go deep into scripture to figure some things out.  Specifically, what I want to look at, is the prophesy of Jesus' coming.  God tells us all throughout the Old Testament about Jesus if we only look.  

First, I want to look at the prophesies regarding the lineage of the Messiah.  Genesis 17:19 says this, "God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him."  Then in Genesis 49:10, God tells us 

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;    and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples."  
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient of days,
     and they shall call his name Immanuel”


Then in Jeremiah 23:5, we are told “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."  

So, by those three passages, ranging from Genesis to Jeremiah, we can determine the lineage of the Christ child.  First, he is from the line of Abraham.  He will come from the Tribe of Judah and from the lineage of King David.  Now, let's look at the scripture in which those prophesies were fulfilled.  Matthew 1:1-2 tells us that " The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers".  Matthew tells us plainly that Jesus came from David, Abraham, and the tribe of Judah.  Then Luke 3:33 tells us that Jesus was a descendant of Judah.  

The second prophesy that I want to look at is that the Messiah would come forth from a virgin in the city of Bethlehem.  Isaiah 7:14 says, " Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."  Then Micah 5:2 says, 

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Now lets look at where these prophesies came to pass.  Matthew 1:18-23 says, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, andyou shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
(which means, God with us)."  

Luke 2:1-7 says, "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." 

Old Testament prophesies and New Testament realizations.  To me, there is no doubt about the birth of Christ.  We were told he would come.  It was a promise.  God sent His son, Jesus, to be born in a manger, in the little town called Bethlehem, to a virgin mother named Mary.  Love came down at Christmas.

Jesus also tells us that he will return one day.  It was also a promise.  We should look toward the eastern sky for his return.  If he promised it, you better believe it will come to pass.


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