Prophecies throughout the Bible point to Jesus as the one and only Messiah (Christ) who was destined to come into our world and save many. Long ago God spoke through the Old Testament prophets about his first coming.
Isaiah announced his arrival seven centuries before he was born…
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 Emmanuel, which means ‘God Among Us’. (Isaiah 7:14 New International Version)
About 3,400 years ago, Moses prophesied…
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites… (Deuteronomy 18:15)
Moses also said…
A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel… (Numbers 24:17)
And it was written…
The scepter will not depart from Judah… (Genesis 49:10)
So, what does all this mean? It means the Messiah would come from the Jewish people, from the tribe of Judah, and would be a descendant of the patriarch Jacob. As a prophet to the nation, he would speak God’s Truth and deliver all those who follow his words. He is represented by a star because he comes down from Heaven to give light to the nations. He’s represented by a scepter because he is King. And this scepter will not depart because his reign will never end.
The place of Christ’s birth was revealed by the prophet Micah in the 8th century B.C. (eight centuries Before Christ).
This prophet wrote…
But you Bethlehem, 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 5:2 NIV)
In the 6th century B.C., Zechariah announced the Messiah’s triumphal entry into ancient Israel’s chief city…
Rejoice greatly, people of Jerusalem! Shout for joy, people of Jerusalem! Your king is coming to you. He does what is right, and he saves. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 New Century)
Around 1000 B.C., king David spoke of the Lord’s crucifixion…
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. (Psalms 22:16-18 NIV)
God’s Messiah is revealed in Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12 as an innocent servant being executed. In Isaiah 9:6,7 he is the Prince of Peace who inherits the throne of David and oversees God’s government. In Daniel 7:13,14 he receives power, honor and glory as King of kings.
It is written about him…
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Psalms 118:22 NIV)
There’s only one person in all of history who fulfills every one of these prophecies.
Jesus himself said to his disciples…
“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44 NIV)
Our world is about to find out just how real this God of the Bible is. When His Son appears in the sky it will interrupt the lives of every person on this planet. Everything will stop, because he is here – God Among Us.
The end of the Bible reveals his second coming and our right response…
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 New Living)