The Coming Messiah
Prophecy Of The Birth Of Jesus
We read in scripture many prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. Prophets of the Old Testament proclaimed the coming Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), to a virgin, that He would come out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1), and He would live in the town of Nazareth (Matthew 2:23).
We can see each of these fulfilled. Jesus was born in Bethlehem like the prophet Micah proclaimed, and soon after His birth, He was taken to Egypt by Joseph and Mary as the angel advised, to protect Jesus from King Harrods command to kill all male babies under the age of two. Later He lived in Nazareth, giving Him the name Jesus of Nazareth.
Born Of A Virgin
Let’s look at more scriptures pertaining to prophecy and fulfillment.
The prophecy…
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 ESV
Another prophecy and fulfillment…
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:30-33 ESV
Fulfillment…
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Luke 2:6-7 ESV
Jesus Is Who He Says He Is
There are over 40 scriptures of prophecy and their fulfillment of the birth of Jesus. When we look at these scriptures, it helps us better understand that Jesus has to be who He says He is. The precise fulfillment of prophecies written centuries before His birth reveals divine orchestration beyond human planning.
Where Does This Leave Us?
We could explore so many aspects, but what jumps out to me is who was prophesied about other than Jesus, and one of those was Mary. I have to wonder what she thought when she realized she was part of the fulfillment of an age-old prophecy. She was part of the fulfillment from prophets like Isaiah. Raised in a Jewish home, Mary would have read the old testament scriptures. She got to see first hand the scriptures fulfilled through her.
God Doesn’t Call The Qualified
I love that God chooses people that don’t fit the profile we think they should have. The Jews were waiting for a Messiah. They expected someone like King David would come and rescue them from the grip of the Roman empire. They would have assumed someone in a royal position, a queen or princess, would be the one to give birth to the Messiah. Yet God breaks all societal norms and chose a young girl who was engaged to be married to a carpenter.
This shows us there is hope for the rest of us. Like I said last week, God has a plan for each of us. We may not be giving birth to the Savior of the world, but we are called to serve Him in mighty ways. We are called to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). We are called to share the good news of Jesus with the world and disciple each other. This means helping others grow in their faith. How are you doing this?
My challenge to you this second week in lent is to ask God who you need to share Him with or who He may want you to disciple. If each of us who call ourselves followers of Christ actually shares Jesus with just one person and opened ourselves to disciple one other, can you imagine the dynamic change that would happen? There is no greater time than now that we need to see this change. Stop and pray now of who God would put on your heart to pour into. I can’t wait to hear your stories.
Ways To Disciple
Before I finish today, I want to leave you with a few ways you can begin to disciple others.
- Have coffee. Take the person God has put on your heart out to coffee. Chat about what is going on in your lives and where you are on your walk with the Lord. Encourage one another on your journeys so you can go deeper in your relationship with the Lord.
- Host a Bible study. This is one of my favorites. Gather a few people that God has put on your heart together for a study. You do not have to be a theologian to do this. I have several studies you could do together, why not begin with Genesis? Get it here.
- One-on-one time with another. Make this look however you feel necessary. Maybe invite them over, go to lunch or have a phone call. Just ask God to lead the conversation. Maybe He will lead the two of you to read a book together, or the other person may need prayer. Just seek the Lord for guidance. He will lead you.
Have you sought to find a community where you feel you belong?
For years I felt like I wandered trying to find my people. Over the last few years, God has placed some wonderful ladies in my life through the online community, and I have loved getting to know each of them.
These women respond at a moment’s notice to prayer requests, questions, or just the need for encouragement. I want to invite you to join this precious group.
Imagine being part of a virtual study group, going through each book of the Bible verse-by-verse together. You’ll have access to valuable resources, discussion, and other members who are passionate about helping you grow in your faith.
Don’t wait any longer to join this amazing community!
Jennifer, thank you for heeding God’s call to write for His glory. During this Lent season, our focus is on the birth of our Savior, but I praise Him for giving you the desire and talents to serve Him through your writing here. May God continue to bless you, your family and your ministry.
Thank you so much Jackie.