Day 2

Prophecy about Jesus

Many men over many years prophesied Christ’s coming

· Messiah: the king that would come to deliver Israel

· Prophecy: message from God

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."

Christ’s birth and life were announced long before Mary was even born. In fact, prophets told many details about His birth hundreds of years before. (From 6,000 to 450 years BC) Over 300 prophecies were made, so the Israelites would expect and recognize Jesus when He came. If someone told you 300 facts about someone you never met, do you think you would recognize him?

The prophecies said that the Messiah would:

· Be born of a woman (Gen 3:15)

· Be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)

· Be the son of God (Psalm 2:7)

· Be descended from Abraham (Gen. 22:18), Isaac (Gen. 21:12), Jacob (Num. 24:17), tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10), family of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), house of David (Jer. 23:5)

· Be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)

· Be Presented with gifts (Psalm 72:10)

· Be threatened by Herod (Jer. 31:15)

· Be God and man (Isaiah 7:14)

· Be a Prophet (Deut. 18:18) a Priest (Psalm 110:4) a Judge (Isaiah 33:22), and a King (Psalm 2:6)

· Be preceded by a messenger (Malachi 3:1)

· Teach first in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1)

· Perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5,6)

And that's just the beginning of His life! Could any two men meet all those descriptions perfectly? No - only Jesus. Some people recognized Him when He came. The wise men that brought presents knew He was the Messiah: the shepherds that visited, Simeon and Anna at the temple in Jerusalem, His mother and father, and John’s parents. Even Herod knew He had been born and tried to kill Him. God told us He was coming because he had a plan. He was going to save man from his sins. Why? Because He loves us. John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” So God sent His son for you and me as well as for people who were alive then.