The Birth of Christ Told Through the Eyes of the Prophets

INTRODUCTION

The circumstances surrounding the announcements and events in Matthew chapters 1-2 and Luke chapters 1-2 fulfilled Old Testament prophecies given centuries before these events were described.

The tremendous wealth of Old Testament prophecies allows us to trust that God will keep the promises of Scripture.  In 2 Timothy 3:16, we are told that: “All scripture is GOD BREATHED.  It is inspired by the HOLY SPIRIT.”  These predictions and their realization prove the words of this text.  Jesus is the promised Messiah.  The scripture is what it claims to be; Truth.

TRANSITION FROM HOPE TO TRUST

Old Testament Evidence.

1. Genesis 22:18: “Through YOUR OFFSPRING all nations on earth WILL BE BLESSED, because you have obeyed me." Following the obedient action of Abraham in the account of the attempted sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 11:11-19), an angel sent by God explains that Abraham will become the father of many nations. Christian scholars, throughout the ages, have believed that Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise.
2. Numbers 24:17: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A STAR will come out of Jacob; A SCEPTER will rise out of Israel.” This text implies that Jesus will come through the lineage of David’s son Jacob. The language of this prophecy states that the person does not exist at the time of this writing.  The Star represents the Messiah and Jesus is recognized as that star.  The star leading the wise men from the east is emblematic of Christ’s birth.

The scepter would be representative of a king.  We know that Jesus will one day rule and reign on earth as its king (Revelation 21:22-27).

3. Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit. The spirit of the Lord will rest on him.”
4. We know that Christ is from the line of Jesse, the father of King David:
5. The Branch (Nazer): It is suggested by some theologians that the root word for “branch” in this verse is also the word used for Nazareth and for Nazarene. Jesus was from Nazareth and He was called the Nazarene.
6. Five Old Testament verses identify Jesus as the branch, Isaiah 11:5, Jeremiah 23:5-6, and 33:15, Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12.
7. Jeremiah 23:5-6: Jesus is in the line of King David: “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. 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. 

You have as much to thank Christ for loving as for dying, and you should be as reverently and devoutly grateful for his spotless life as for his terrible and fearful death. The text speaking of Christ, the son of David, the branch out of the root of Jesse, styles him THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.[1] – Charles Spurgeon

5. 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."

Truths in this Prediction:

1. Born in the Region of Ephrathah. Since there was a Bethlehem in both northern Israel (Israel) and southern Israel (Judah), it was necessary to differentiate between which Bethlehem is being identified. Ephrathah was an earlier name for the southern Bethlehem and would have indicated the exact location.
2. Born in the city of Bethlehem. 1 Chronicles 4:4 mentions a mother named Ephrathah who gave birth to a son named Bethlehem. Some try to argue that this is the significance of the prophecy.  However, Micah was written after 1 Chronicles 4:4.
3. Born of the Tribe of Judah: Micah predicts that Jesus would be born into the tribe of Judah in Bethlehem Ephrathah. We know that this is exactly what took place. Probably Micah used the phrase for clarification purposes.

Born as a future Ruler:

Whose Origins are from Old:  This verse makes an astonishing statement when it claims that out of Bethlehem will come a ruler who has existed from “the days of all time” from time as it came out of eternity.”  The Messiah would be someone who has not born and yet is eternal by His nature. 

6. 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.”

Matthew 1:20-23 describes the encounter between the angel and Joseph: “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel," which means, "God with us."

Jesus has many names throughout the Bible.  Mathew tells us that Joseph should name the child “Jesus” and that Jesus will be the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:4. The virgin birth stands along with the temptation of Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection as one of the defining moments in the life of Jesus.  The Messiah, our Savior, had to be God and man at the same time.  Matthew 1:20-23 along with Luke 1:34-37 as the undeniable proof of this miracle birth.

7. Psalm 72:9 -10: “The DESERT TRIBES will BOW before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.

FIRST PROPHECY: the SHEPHERDS (Luke 2:8-20).  The desert tribes throughout the region were shepherds.  Therefore, this reference in Psalm 72:9 would apply to the shepherds in the account given to us in Luke 2:8-20.  The shepherds came and bowed down before the newborn King Jesus.

SECOND PROPHECY: applies to the KINGS AND MAGI who came to worship the new king and laid priceless gifts at Christ’s feet in recognition of who and what He would become (Matthew 2:1-11).  The second group mentioned, “kings of Sheba and Seba” who are Arabian kings represent all dignitaries and wise men from the east.  In the future, all kings will bow down to Jesus and all nations will serve him.

8. Jeremiah 31:15: This is what the Lord says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."

THE KINGS FROM THE EAST, as predicted in Jeremiah, were summoned by King Herod who had heard of their arrival.  The king asked for the exact date of the sighting of the star so that he would know the age of the child.  Herod then instructed the Magi to report back to him so that he could also worship the new king.  This was a lie.  Herod intended to kill the child.

Having been warned in a dream of Herod’s intent, the Magi returned home through another route that allowed them to avoid king Herod  Being outmaneuvered by God and His appointed kings from the east, Herod struck back.  He gave the order to kill all of the male children up to two years of age.  Two years evidently coincided with the information received from the Magi concerning the star’s original sighting.

9. Hosea 11:1, “…out of Egypt I called my son.”

As all this was taking place, the Lord appeared to Joseph and instructed him, Mary and Jesus to flee to Egypt thereby avoiding the oncoming slaughter.  On cue, Herod massacred all of the male children through the age of two.  Joseph, Mary, and Jesus remained in Egypt until King Herod died and then God called them back to Israel.   Their move home satisfied the prophecy of Hosea 11:1.

Nothing that is accomplished by God is a coincidence.  It is all part of a master plan programmed and launched by the Master Himself.

[1] Charles Spurgeon, The Lord of Righteousness, spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/jehovah-tsidkenu-the-lord-our-righteousness#flipbook/, Public Domain, P. 2.