One of the reasons I am totally sold on Jesus is the way He is the fulfillment of Old Testament Prophesy. Keep in mind that a prophet had to be one hundred percent accurate in his predictions. That being the case, consider the fact that there are at least 200 specific prophesies in the Old Testament that have been fulfilled by the coming of Jesus Christ.
One such prophecy is found in Isaiah 7:14 where we read, “Therefore the LORD HIMSELF will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. There are at least three predictions in this one verse:
1. The woman who would give birth to the Savior would be a virgin.
2. She would give birth to a Son.
3. His name would be Immanuel. “God with us.”
How was it possible for Isaiah, 700 years before Christ appeared, to be able to make such predictions and have them fulfilled so completely in Jesus of Nazareth?
One of the most amazing pictures given by Isaiah is found in Chapter 53 where the prophet describes the One to come as a “Suffering Servant.” In this chapter, Isaiah talks about:
1. Jesus being despised and rejected by His own people.
2. Jesus would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
3. People being healed by His stripes. This refers to His phony trials and unjust crucifixion. (2 Cor. 5:21)
· Christ’s death on the cross was for us, in our place, and was a substitutionary atonement.
4. Through Jesus, we can receive both spiritual healing and physical healing.
· When we receive Christ as our Savior, His atonement is applied and our sins are forgiven.
· Physical healing is also available to us especially when we receive our new bodies. (1 Cor. 15)
· Jesus would maintain an amazing composure before His enemies.
· His grave would be with the wicked and the rich.
· Many people will be justified by trusting in Him.
· He will personally be satisfied with the anguish of His soul and all that would be accomplished by His death.
(Note: There is much more in Isaiah 53, but my question is — How could Isaiah, before the birth of our Lord and Savior, be so specific unless he was supernaturally guided by the Holy Spirit. (That is both a question and the answer.)
Let’s turn to Micah 5 and see what he predicted five hundred years before the Messiah/Savior appeared.
1. He says that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem.
2. He would someday establish His rule over Israel.
3. He says Jerusalem would be overthrown by an enemy nation.
4. He says the day will restore His people from their captivity.
5. Micah prophesied that the LORD’S kingdom would be one of peace.
6. They will recognize Him as their long-awaited Messiah and He shall care for them like a shepherd.
7. Micah predicts that the coming Messiah would one day rule the entire world.
8. Ultimately, the day will come when Christ will rule forever.
Obviously, some of what Micah prophesied, is still to take place.
I have just, in this meditation, introduced you to what two prophets predicted about the coming of Christ. As I mentioned, there are at least 300 specific prophesies in the Old Testament that have been or are being fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
For example, God promised that one day He would regather the Jewish people who had ceased to be a nation. He promised that like homing pigeons, they would come from the four corners of the world and be restored to the land God promised them. Folks, in 1948, Israel was once recognized as a nation among the nations of the world. Talk about Amazing!
Christmas is important because it was the fulfillment of a number of the Old Testament prophesies and it set the stage for the rest of His prophecies to be fulfilled. Satan has tried again and again to destroy Israel. He has tried repeatedly to destroy the Church of the Living Christ. It is my opinion we are living at a time when God’s people — all who are trusting in Jesus, are really going to be tested. It is already happening through the COVID-19 virus and the pandemic. We have governors and other elected officials making rules and regulations that greatly impact churches … rules that they do not, in many instances, have the right to make.
It is time for the true church, to wake up, stand up, and speak up for our King Jesus, the LORD of our lives. He has called us to be salt and light in two very powerful elements. Jesus is the Light of the world and we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to let that light shine like a city on a hill-top, giving pure light to a world that has been plunged into terrible darkness caused by sin.
This Christmas, I challenge each of us to present Christ as the best, most important gift people could ever receive. In order to do that, it must be obvious that Christ is our all in all. The eternal well-being of countless souls depends on our being people of the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
I pray that each of you will have the most blessed Christ-centered Christmas ever.
Blessings, Pastor Leonard
