What Prophecies Does the Birth of Christ Fulfill?
By Randy Hilton
Over the span of 1,000 years, 40 different authors wrote the books of the Bible. Every book points to one person . . . Jesus Christ. The Old Testament points to the coming Messiah. The Gospels and the first two chapters in Acts tell us that the Messiah has come and His name is Jesus. They tell us about His birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. The Epistles and Letters tell us how to live in light of the fact that the Messiah has come and His name is Jesus. The book of Revelations tells us that He is coming again.
Prophecy: A foretelling; prediction; a declaration of something to come.
“As God only knows future events with certainty, no being but God, or some person informed by Him, can utter a real prophecy. The prophecies recorded in Scripture, when fulfilled, afford most convincing evidence of the divine origin of the Scriptures, as those who uttered the prophecies could not have foreknown the events predicted without supernatural instruction.” –Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
As you read the biblical prophecy that foretold the coming of Christ followed by its fulfillment in Scripture, let yourself be affected by it. We take it for granted. We read it as if ordinary. These events were predicted over hundreds of years and many times over. Since the beginning of time, the earth seemed to be ripening for the birth of Christ. The watching and waiting—the anticipation—must have been worrying at times. The angels bursting forth proclaiming “Glory to God” must have been gloriously deafening as the moment—the turning point in history—had finally come!
Read on. Say it. Hear it. Search it. Proclaim it! And let the wonder of it set in as you realize it is just as it had been told.
The Prophecy
In Genesis 3:15, God said to Satan in the Garden of Eden:
“And I will put enmity (hate) between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Galatians 4:4 fulfills the prophecy: “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman…”
The Prophecy
Isaiah 7:14 states that He would be born of a virgin. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
The Fulfillment
Matthew 1:18 says “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
The Prophecy
In Genesis 22:18 God tells that He would be of the seed of Abraham, when He says to Abraham “in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
The Fulfillment
In Matthew 1:1 reveals Jesus in the line of Abraham, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
The Prophecies
Genesis 21:12 says the Messiah would be a son of Isaac: “He would be a son of Isaac. Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
Numbers 24:17 tells us He would be a son of Jacob when it says “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
The Fulfillment
These two prophecies were fulfilled in Luke 3:23-37, details the genealogy back through David, through Jacob, through Isaac and Abraham, back to Adam and God the Father.
The Prophecy
Genesis 49:10 says He would be of the tribe of Judah as it states that “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”
The Fulfillment
We see this prophecy fulfilled in Luke 3:33 “the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah.”
The Prophecy
Isaiah 11:1 tells us the Messiah would be in the line of Jesse: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
The Fulfillment
It is fulfilled in Luke 3:32 “The son of David, the son of Jesse.”
The Prophecy
Jeremiah 23:5 teaches that He would be of the House of 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.”
The Fulfillment
We see its fulfillment in Luke 3:31, “the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David.”
The Prophecy
Micah 5:2 states that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, “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 Fulfillment
This is fulfilled in Matthew 2:1, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi form the east came to Jerusalem.”
The Prophecy
Psalms 72:10 tells us He would be presented with gifts. “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.” And, sadly, Jeremiah 31:15 forewarns that with His birth will come the senseless killing of children. “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 Fulfillment
This is fulfilled by Herod’s actions in Matthew 2:16. “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
Prophecies and their fulfillment confirm the infallibility, inerrancy, and authority of the Bible. Let us be awestruck at the miracle of the telling and fulfillment of the coming of Immanuel…God with us.
Randy Hilton holds a doctor of ministry degree from Southwest Bible College and Seminary and is in the process of writing his doctoral dissertation in theology at the school. He has a master’s of religious education from Manahath School of Theology and is a student in Regent University’s master of education Christian school program. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from East Tennessee State University and a bachelor of religious education from Manahath.
Second Graders Visit Veteran Navy Seal
By Suzi Agne, Second Grade Teacher
In a country that has become self-centered with the ideals that everything is “all about me” and everything “I” want should happen instantaneously, where does that leave our husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who serve in our armed forces? They have not served out of a self-centered nature. Nor are they seeking instant gratification.
They were called.
Some were called by an inner desire to serve—to serve God and country. Some were called into action by our government. Either way, it was a call to serve . . . possibly setting aside their personal aspirations, to protect our life, liberty, and freedom. Although John Carver or William Bradford generally are not referred to as Veteran’s, they certainly were. Many people like them risked everything, including their own families, to fight for religious freedom. That is what brought them to America. Since that time, America has fought many times for freedom. The circumstances for that freedom have just been different each time.
On Veteran’s Day, Dayspring’s second graders took time to extend thanks to one veteran for his service as they visited veteran Leo Racine, now a security guard at Burle Industries, and served him lunch. Their mission was to be a blessing to someone who gave of themselves to serve our country. The students had many questions for the veteran and learned that Mr. Leo, as they affectionately call him, was 17 years old when he entered the Navy and became a Navy Seal. He served our country for 14 ½ years, which included the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Norfolk, VA, Newport, CT, and San Diego, CA, when he wasn’t on board the submarine “Abraham Lincoln,” Fleet Ballistic Missile which carried 18 missiles and 18-20 torpedoes. He was qualified on everything aboard the ship except the navigation system. Now, he still serves our community as a guard in the Burle Industrial Park.
The students were able to glean a great deal of information from Mr. Leo. The students felt that talking to him, asking him questions, singing a song, and serving him lunch seemed like a small token of appreciation for the sacrifices he made for our country. The second graders made a beautiful placemat and many cards for the veteran, who later related that he put these keepsakes in a scrap book he has of his Navy days. Mr. Leo commented that no one had ever acknowledged him as a Vet or done anything to say “thank you.”
May God bless the men and women who serve our country now and have served it in the past. In James 1:25, James writes, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” It is with great honor that we should remember and serve you on Veteran’s Day. The second graders of Dayspring Christian Academy would like to thank all of the Veterans.
Middle School Students Offer Sweet Thanks to Veterans
Fifteen middle school students gave up a study hall to make Thanksgiving cards for veterans residing in the Coatesville Veterans Hospital. Students prayed over each card they made so the veteran opening up that card would have a sense of blessing. The students also created tasty treats including fancy fudge, Rice Krispie treats, and cookies. It was the second time this school year the students had gathered to make this fun fare and reach out to these veterans.
Upper School teacher Donna Hurley coordinated the activities and ensured safe delivery of the goodies.
How will we teach our children to take initiative? How will we teach them to work with diligence? How does a child learn to persevere? Will they have the courage that it takes?
Building these biblical character traits into our students takes wisdom and creativity. Dayspring’s teachers have been led with both and designed activities to develop excellence in character, create joyful experiences, and give the students lessons from which they can continue to draw. One such project is the fourth-grade Grow Project. Teacher Judy Sykes brought it with her when she came to Dayspring 20 years ago. Each student is given the opportunity to develop ideas that may be used as a way to “grow” money. They began with a little “seed” money, and students and parents were to prayerfully consider this challenge as a stretching of character, not an emptying of their pocketbook.
Grow Project Goals:
- Students take the initiative to think of a skill or product that you can market to others.
- Students plan the strategy of diligently carrying it out to completion with parents help.
- Students persevere to see the project through to its ending – whether as a success or a failure.
- Students learn what courage it would take to repeat the project or try a different project.
Cameron gave his Grow Project money to his aunt who “preaches in Haiti.”
Josiah Slabach made and sold Party Mix, earning $95.25. “I was blessed that a couple of people paid me more than I was asking,” he said. “One of the challenges was the time it took to buy ingredients and make the Party Mix. I look forward to spending some of the money, giving some away, and saving some. I learned it takes work to earn money.”
Josiah plans to buy a gift for his new uncle with some of his earnings.
The grand total earned by this year’s class was $2,431. Classes typically average between $500 and $800. These students are working as for the Lord hoping one day their master will reply, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”