Over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born in a manger. Most of the people bustling about Bethlehem that night had no idea that the greatest event in human history had taken place in their midst. A few people, however, knew that the baby born that night was the long-awaited Messiah. He was the one predicted by the prophets and He fulfilled many prophecies since the beginning of time.
We now know that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies, including the following:
Where He would be born… Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
Which tribe of Israel would be his lineage … The tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10)
An important detail about His mother … She would be a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
He would be called Mighty God, Everlasting Father … (Isaiah 9:6)
He will reign on David’s throne forever … (Isaiah 9:7)
Jesus would suffer and take our sin upon Himself… Isaiah (53:4-12)
Prophecies are so important! They tell us what is to come and give us hope. The prophets foretold that the Savior of the world would come. For many centuries, history pressed on with no Messiah. Then there were 400 years of silence with no prophets speaking to God’s people.
Finally, the Messiah arrived! Unexpected in that moment, yet long awaited. Deserving of a throne in a palace yet laying in a manger in a stable. Most people weren’t aware and didn’t even notice this extraordinary event.
That night an angel appeared to shepherds who were tending their flocks. Were they the only ones humble and receptive enough to hear this incredible news? They found the babe in the manger, just as the angel told them, and worshipped Jesus.
Wise men from a faraway country had been carefully studying the prophecies and followed a bright star in the sky until they found Jesus. They knew Jesus was the baby that fulfilled what the prophets had spoken. These wise men, or possibly kings from other lands, traveled for months to see this baby, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the prophecies.
The baby born that night was the long-awaited Savior of the world. Billions of people around the world still celebrate this marvelous event that took place over 2,000 years ago. Jesus would go on to heal the blind, calm stormy waters, raise the dead and multiply bread and fish to feed hungry crowds. He would sacrifice His life, shed His blood as payment for our sins, and rise from the grave three days after His crucifixion. Jesus fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah foretold nearly 700 years earlier.
Fulfilled prophecy means that God’s Word is true. If prophecies don’t come true, the Scriptures would not be worthy of our trust. But if the prophecies do come to pass, just as God has declared, then God really does exist and the Scripture records are reliable and true. God has spoken and fulfilled His promise through Jesus.
In the bustle and excitement of Christmas, many people may overlook or ignore the magnitude of the greatest event of all time. Are you one of the Believers who know the truth about the baby born in Bethlehem? Do you want a sign that God is real, the Bible is true, and God loves you? Jesus is the sign, the fulfillment of prophecies, the Savior of the world.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
There is only one baby in all of the history of the world that fulfilled the amazing and specific prophecies recorded in the Bible. And the world continues to celebrate His birth at Christmas.
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.” Isaiah 9:6
Laurie Driesen 