After Thanksgiving, we enter into the Christmas season. The coming of Jesus to earth is the most important event in human history. It is a real event that has defined how time is measured. This is the year 2021 AD.
AD comes from the Latin words anno Domini that means in the year of our Lord. A monk set up this designation in 532. He started dating events on the Roman calendar from the year he believed Christ was born.
The years before Christ came to earth historically have been designated BC, meaning before Christ. To lessen the historical influence of Christianity the dating terminology is now being change from AD to CE, which means Common Era and BCE, which means before the Common Era.
As society tries to lessen both the meaning of Christmas and the impact of Jesus’ coming on human history, it is critical that as Christians we understand the full meaning of Jesus’ coming and its impact on all humanity. To keep a right focus during the Christmas season we are going to study in depth who Jesus is and the events leading up to and surrounding his birth.
We study Jesus’ birth every Christmas season because it is important to remember. If we don’t review something regularly, we will forget.
The Bible is God’s story or message to us. Like history, the Bible itself is divided into two parts by Christ’s coming, the Old and New Testaments.
Besides relating the story of creation and the law given to Moses, the Old Testament contains the history of God’s people (Israel) and books of poetry, proverbs and prophecy. It was all written before Jesus came to earth. The New Testament contains the good news about Jesus coming and dying for our sins. It also tells about the history of the early church, lays out Christian beliefs, and shares how to live out our faith.
Before we begin looking at the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, we want to examine what the Old Testament prophets had to say about the coming of a savior. A prophet is a person who speaks from God and tells what will happen in the future.
God warned his people to test the prophets; they were to examine carefully what a prophet said. According to the Bible, the words of a prophet should:
- Lead a person towards the one true God, not away from him.
- Encourage a person to follow, obey and serve the Lord.
- Not contradict or go against what the Word of God (Bible) says.
- Prove to be true. (This can be hard to test because some prophecies are about the very distant future.)
There are many Scriptures in the Old Testament that the Jewish people considered Messianic prophecies, which are ones that relates to the coming of the Messiah.
The Messiah is the Savior God promised to his people Israel. Many of the prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled with the first coming of Jesus. Other prophecies point to his second coming.
We will examine five different Messianic prophecies to learn what they say about the Messiah God promised to send to the people of Israel. We will test each of the prophecies to determine if they apply to Jesus.
Jeremiah 23:5 – “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”
Jeremiah says this about the Messiah:
- He will be from the branch of King David.
- He will be a King who will reign wisely and do what is right and just.
- In his days Judah will be saved.
- He will be called The Lord Our Righteousness.
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in the following ways:
- Being a branch means that the Messiah would be descended from King David. Descended means to come from the family line of someone who lived before you. Both Mary and Joseph were from the line of David as was Jesus. They were King David’s descendants. (Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-38)
- As he stood before Pilate Jesus called himself a king, although he said that his kingdom was not of this world. (John 18:37)
- Jesus told Nicodemus when he was talking to him that he came to save the world. (John 3:16-18)
- Paul describes in his letters the righteousness that comes through Jesus. (Romans 3:21-22)
Isaiah 7:14 – Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah says this about the Messiah:
- A virgin, a woman who had never been married and hadn’t had relations with a man, would give birth to a son. This could only be a miracle from God, as a woman has to have relations with a man in order to have a baby.
- The baby was to be named Immanuel which means “God with us,” implying that God would come in the flesh to dwell among men.
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in the following ways:
- When the angel Gabriel told Mary she was to have a baby, Mary responded, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34)
- The angel Gabriel told Mary that the power of the most high would overshadow her and the one born would be the Son of God. She was to give the baby the name Jesus which is a form of Joshua that means “The Lord saves.” (Luke 1:31-33)
Micah 5:2 – But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Micah says this about the Messiah:
- The Messiah would come from the insignificant little town of Bethlehem.
- The origins of the Messiah would be ancient, from the beginning of time.
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in the following ways:
- Jesus was born in Bethlehem. His parents had to go there to register with the Roman government because they were from the line of David. Bethlehem was King David’s hometown and they were his descendants. (Luke 2:4-5)
- Because Jesus is God, he has always existed and was there at the time of creation. (John 1:1-3)
Isaiah 9:6-7a – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
Isaiah says this about the Messiah:
- The Messiah would be born as a man, but the names by which he would be called tell us that he is God.
- Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in the following ways:
- Jesus said he and the Father are one. He is God. (John 10:30)
- Jesus’ kingdom is eternal and will never end. (John 18:36)
Malachi 4:5-6 – “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Malachi says this about the Messiah:
Before the Messiah came God would send the prophet Elijah to turn hearts back to him and restore right relationships within families.
Jesus said that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come. (Matthew 11:11-14) Matthew, chapter 3, describes how John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah by preparing the way for Jesus.
Peter, who was a Jew and one of Jesus’ disciples, spoke of the importance of Jesus’ coming in fulfilling the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. He walked with Jesus and knew who he was. Matthew 16:13-17 relates a conversation between Jesus and Peter,
13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
Peter recognized that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah sent by God. Jesus and those with him proclaimed that he is the Messiah.
At Christmas, we want to be like the prophets of old, sharing the good news of the Messiah that has already come. A messenger faithfully shares God’s truth as the prophets of the Old Testament did. They are a blessing to those who hear and believe.
Isaiah 52:7 says, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- Overview Questions: What should the words of a prophet do? What are five Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah? How do we know Jesus is the Messiah?
- Thought Questions: Why do people need a Messiah (Savior)? Why was the Messiah promised to Israel? Why didn’t all the Jews recognize Jesus as the Promised Messiah? Why doesn’t everyone see who Jesus is?
- Prayer: Thank God that he has made a way for us to be delivered from the punishment and the power of our sin through his Son Jesus Christ. Pray that you would be humble and your eyes opened to see fully who Jesus is and all he has done for you. Pray for those who have arrogant, hard hearts that they might see their need for Jesus.
- This Week’s Memory Verse: Isaiah 52:7
What does a messenger do? A messenger faithfully shares God’s truth.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Questions: What do God’s messengers share with other people?