The Story Foretold
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The Christmas story is one of the birth of Jesus the Christ, Messiah of the Jews and Savior of the world.
Many through the years have claimed to be the Messiah but only one fulfills the prophecies written about Him more than 1000 years before His birth. No man could orchestrate these specific qualifications so as to arrange for himself to be born in the right place at the right time to the right family. No … this birth was not the plan nor the hand of man … this impossibility could only be God!
This morning we will not look at the more than 1000 prophecies easily discovered in the Old Testament concerning Messiah which were all fulfilled in Jesus, but rather we will look at only a few which surround the birth of Messiah, the reason for our celebration this Christmas season.
Watch with me as we review the story foretold and see how it narrows more and more taking us to only one certain conclusion –
Jesus is Messiah!
Prophecy says that:
Messiah will be the seed of a woman
Genesis 3:15 Galatians 4:4
A son of mankind, a descendant of Eve … Narrowing the field farther the prophecies say that:
Messiah will be the descendant of Abraham
Genesis 12:3 Galatians 3:16
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.
Farther narrowing the possibilities:
Messiah will be the descendant of Judah
Genesis 49:10 Luke 3:33
Messiah will be the descendant of David
Jeremiah 23 & 33 Luke 1:32-33
Not only is Messiah a son of mankind, the seed of Abraham, from the Tribe of Judah, in the lineage of David, but here is the real clincher …
Messiah will be born of a Virgin
Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18-25
That’s right, a virgin shall conceive, the scriptures did not say from what town the woman would be from but there is a prophecy about Messiah being called a Nazarene and Mary was from the town of Nazareth … go figure.
Even though scriptures do not say where the mother will be from, prophecy specifically tells the town of Messiah’s birth ---
Messiah will be born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1
As if that were not enough to narrow the field of prospects, the prophet Daniel recorded a conversation he had with the angel Gabriel concerning a vision God had given him. Guess what?
Messiah will be born at a specific time
Daniel 9:25-26 Galatians 4:4
This is how Gabriel explained it to Daniel …
Key Scriptures:
Daniel 9 NLT
25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, (The Messiah), comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.
26 "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One, (The Messiah), will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.
It is certain that when the wise men from the east saw the star rise and came to Jerusalem seeking the one who was to be born as King of the Jews, the religious leaders and priest did not only know the place of His birth but also the time. It had now been 490 years since the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given by Cyrus and it was now time for Messiah. Furthermore there is the prophecy of:
The Gospel foretold through Isaiah
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 The Gospels
This morning I am taking no personal license suggesting these prophecies refer to Messiah and His coming. Long before the birth of Jesus, learned scholars believed and taught that these portions of scriptures pointed directly to Messiah. It was the most studied and religious Jewish scholars of the day whom King Herod sought out to learn the place of Messiah’s birth. How did they know? It was foretold in prophecy, prophecies which they studied, prophecies which point to Messiah.
One of the confusing elements surrounding the prophecies of Messiah is that these prophecies paint two pictures. There are more than 300 prophecies of the first coming of Messiah as a suffering Servant, (Isaiah 53), but there are 500 prophecies about the second coming of Messiah as a triumphant King, (Zachariah 14).
There are not two Messiahs but rather only one begotten Son. The Jews for the most part are waiting for the triumphant One. People all over the world have questioned why it is so hard for the Jews who are God’s chosen people to accept Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah seeing He fulfilled every prophecy.
Have you ever expected to get one thing for Christmas and got something else which you considered less than what you wanted?
Well that’s the way the Jews viewed Jesus when He came, born as a babe, in humble surroundings, lived His life and died seemingly accomplishing nothing. But that’s what the prophecy in Daniel said would happen … remember …
Daniel 9:26 … the Anointed One, (The Messiah), will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing …
*** (Perhaps I will insert the attached personal story) ***
More than simply offering us the kingdoms of this world for a lifetime, a risen and victorious Messiah offers us the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity.
Don’t fall prey to being disappointed with what Jesus has done for you so far. Believe me, it’s not over yet!
Let me leave you with three points to ponder:
1. No one else can make the claim Jesus makes
2. God gives us what we need, not just what we want
3. We should be thankful for everything we get
(If I do not go to this or another personal story, I will close here)
Personal Story of Christmas Expectations
It must have been 1963 or 1964, I was nine or ten years old. That year I went to four different schools: Fort Worth, Lubbock, Oklahoma City and Texarkana. I was in the third grade and my dad was trying real hard to quit drinking while my mom was working to keep the family together and make a new home with each geographical cure which my father attempted.
I was a rambunctious child, a bit overactive, last in the line of four children, the baby of the family and it showed. I don’t remember much about my siblings that year, life seemed to be mostly about me and my mom. Making new friends was hard but not as hard as loosing them. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I try so hard now to make deep and lasting relationships. I don’t want to digress into self analysis, so let me continue with the story.
We were in Oklahoma City I think, or maybe it was Lubbock … anyway, it was Christmas time and there was snow everywhere. I was so excited about Christmas, there was so much I wanted and I had rehearsed it all to my parents over and over again. I remember wanting a sled to ride down the snow covered driveway, a cowboy rifle and pistol, an electric race car set with a figure eight track and a science kit which the boy across the street said included x-ray glasses that let you see through walls.
I even have a vivid memory of getting back up late one night and talking with my dad when he got home, trying to convince him to buy me a real cowboy pistol, just in case they didn’t make them anymore once I got to be a man. He saw through that argument and assured me that they would still be around for a few more years. Ok, so I couldn’t get the real pistol, I could live with that, but the rest of the stuff I knew was in the bag.
I still remember coming into the living room Christmas morning where there were a few things set around the room for us kids. I saw some gloves and a hat, along with my stocking full of nuts and a candy cane. I quickly handled those things and began searching for the real stash. Under the tree I found a tube wrapped in Christmas paper, twisted at the ends and tied with ribbons. It had my name on it. It felt like the kind of tube Christmas paper came rolled on.
This is the cowboy rifle I thought, the sled must be outside. I attempted to set the tube aside and keep looking but my mom redirected me to the present at hand and said, “Merry Christmas”.
As I opened it to find several small metal matchbox type cars and little trucks, I got that gut wrenching feeling that this was all there was and if I did not act like I was happy, mom sure would be hurt. My gut feeling was right.
I was blessed with loving and giving parents. But, you can only give what you have and since then I have looked back on that Christmas and a few following that one and realize that my parents always gave all they had. Who could be disappointed with a mom and dad like that?
Through the years I have no doubt disappointed the expectations of my children and others but one thing I have never done, I have never given less than all I had, and many times, like you, I have given much more than I could afford.
Yet, at times, and with some people, less that what is expected is just not enough, no matter how much it costs the one who gave.
Have you ever expected to get one thing for Christmas and got something else … something you thought was less than you expected? Well …
Jesus was not what the Jews expected for Christmas. They expected the triumphant king and got the suffering servant … but it’s not over yet!
What we expect to get can sometimes keep us from accepting what we are given.
What we want can keep us from getting what we need.
What we hope to get can keep us from enjoying what others give us.
The Jews of that day did not accept Jesus as Messiah because He was not what they expected, not what they wanted, not what they imagined they needed.
***
More than simply offering us the kingdoms of this world for a lifetime, a risen and victorious Messiah offers us the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity.
Don’t fall prey to being disappointed with what Jesus has done for you so far. God gave His best and believe me, it’s not over yet!
Let me leave you with three points to ponder:
1. No one else can make the claim Jesus makes
2. God gives us what we need, not just what we want
3. We should be thankful for everything we get
