The prophets foretold the birth of Christ for hundreds of years. In anticipation of the Christmas season, I’ve been reviewing some of those prophecies and lining them up with the New Testament. Below are some of the things I’ve been examining.
Isaiah 7:14 - Virgin Birth
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
In this passage, the prophet Isaiah was addressing the family and descendants of King David, and speaks of a virgin being pregnant with a child, and giving birth to the child. Isaiah says this in the context of it being a sign from God. He also says that the child would be referred to as "Immanuel," which means, "God with us."
Matthew and Luke record details involving the birth of Jesus, saying that he was born of the virgin Mary and is the Son of God.
(Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-31))
Genesis 49:10 - Tribe of Judah
“The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”
The context of this verse is Jacob is blessing his 12 sons. This blessing was also a prophecy. Jacob told his son Judah that his descendants would be rulers and that one of his descendants will be an ultimate ruler.
Jesus' ancestry is traced back to Jacob's son, Judah, in Luke 3:23-34 and in Matthew 1:1-16.
Isaiah 9:6 - Names of Jesus
“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.”
Micah 5:2 - Born in Bethlehem
“Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
“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.””
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, a small village near Jerusalem. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy about 2000 years ago. Although Jesus was raised in the town of Nazareth, he was born in Bethlehem.
(Matthew 2:1)
Jeremiah 23:5 - Lineage of David
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
The Messiah would be a descendant of King David. David ruled over the land of Israel about 1000 years before Jesus was born. Jesus is recorded in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke as being a descendant of King David.
Psalm 21:10 - Presented with gifts
“May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts.”
This predicts the gifts the magi would bring Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-11)
Jeremiah 31:15 - Predicts Herod killing the children
”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 they are no more.”
(Matthew 2:16-18)
Isaiah 40:4 – Predicts the coming of John the Baptist
”A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.”
The Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner. (Matthew 3:1-2)
There are many more prophecies about Christ in the Old Testament. Learning the Old Testament helps you understand the New Testament. Take some time this Christmas season to meditate on the birth of the Savior.
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