Pointing to Christ
Notes
Transcript
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
8 Prophecies of Birth
8 Prophecies of Birth
Over 300 prophecies in the OT pointing to Jesus.
Peter Stoneman, Chairman of the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena College along with 600 students looked at 8 prophecies dealing with the birth of Jesus and their probabilities of being fulfilled. What they found was astounding.
1 X 10^17 power
100,000,000,000,000,000
That is a 1 in 100 quadrillion chance that they could all eight be fulfilled.
Let’s look as some other statistics:
1 in 250 chance of having twins.
1 in 1,000 chance of cracking open a double-yolked egg.
1 in 10,000 chance of finding a four leaf clover.
1 in 15,300 chance of being struck by lightning.
1 in 662,000 chance of reaching an Olympic podium.
1 in 1,698,521 chance of getting a perfect SAT score.
1 in 3,700,000 of being killed in a shark attack.
1 in 13,000,000 of dying from a tornado
1 in 302.6 million of winning the Mega Millions lottery.
(Yes, my mind went here…you have about a 20,000 times better chance of being struck by lightning than winning the Mega Millions…let that sink in).
But all the way back in Genesis, we are told of the coming Messiah.
Nation Blessed through Abraham’s Lineage
Nation Blessed through Abraham’s Lineage
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God chose Abraham and his descendents and chose to bless them because of his obedience. One of these blessings was to show blessings on those who bless Israel, and curses on those who dishonor or disparages them. God chose the nation of Israel - the one in whom the blessing was given - with the gospel given through Jesus Christ as a blessing. This was acknowledged in Acts 3:25-26
25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’
26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
Those whom God blessed would be blessed through Jesus first IF they chose to accept Him.
Covenant with Isaac’s Ancestors
Covenant with Isaac’s Ancestors
19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
Nation’s Blessed through Jacob’s Offspring
Nation’s Blessed through Jacob’s Offspring
14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
Scepter Comes Through Judah
Scepter Comes Through Judah
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
David’s Offspring Has Eternal Kingdom
David’s Offspring Has Eternal Kingdom
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Virgin Born
Virgin Born
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Messiah Flees to Egypt
Messiah Flees to Egypt
1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Christ Born in Bethlehem
Christ Born in Bethlehem
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Nothing about Jesus’ birth brought fanfare or fame. He was a common child, born to a common family, but with Divine lineage and everlasting and eternal impact.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.