Prophecies of Christ Fulfilled
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Text: Matthew 1:22
Intro: Tomorrow is Christmas, and around the world it will be celebrated by more than 2 billion people. However, not all will celebrate it for the same reason… This morning as we are reminded of the reason for the season, let us rejoice; rejoice in the fact that His birth represents the day, that the Son of God, put on human flesh, became a man like you and I… The Bible tells us why this was done, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” But... He didn’t do this at His birth, you see, He was born to die… And so, He did it through His cross, by the suffering and shedding of His blood. We rejoice today,;because He came, we rejoice today because He lived as a perfect man, we rejoice today because He set forth a perfect example of what we are to be, we rejoice today because He died and took our place, we rejoice today because He didn’t stay dead, but that rose, and is alive forever more!
Today, we are going to look at the book of Matthew and the events of and around the birth of Christ!
We started today with,
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
This is a statement that is not only used here at the birth of Christ, but is repeated at least a dozen times in the 28 chapters of the book of Matthew! A statement that has a simple but most significant meaning… Christ, fulfilled the Scriptures!
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
This verse is the fulfillment of a prophecy that took place more than 700 years prior to the events of Matthew chapter 1!
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
And shall call his name Immanuel.
Historically so much takes place from the time of this prophecy,concerning the world, but specifically God’s chosen people the nation of Israel. From the prophecies writing, which is somewhere around 750 B.C. Babylon has been in power, Assyria has been in power, Greece has been in power, and at the time of these events Rome has been in power for for nearly 140 years… Let’s look at,
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Just as the Scriptures foretold the virgin Mary did indeed conceive and bore a Son who is called Emmanuel (which being interpreted is God with us), and who is also called Jesus! What a display of God’s infinite power and sovereignty! He is not only capable of foretelling the event 700 plus years prior, and using imperfect man to do it, but with perfect precision, He has the power to bring the impossible to pass!
Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
We see these wise men come from the east to Jerusalem, and they came looking for the King, well they found a king in Herod, but that was not the king they sought… They came looking for “he that is born King of the Jews...” They saw His star and they came to worship!
Read: Matthew 2:4-9
This troubled Herod…
These events are the fulfillment of,
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah,
Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Before we get to the next events… READ Matthew 2:10-12
Now these are not direct quotes however they are still fulfillments!
Gold, because He is King and God!
Frankincense because He is High Priest
& and Myrrh because He was born to die…
What Herod does next to us seems unimaginable, but to a God who is all-knowing, He foretold the events...
Read: Matthew 2:13-17 This is the fulfillment of,
Thus saith the Lord;
A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, and bitter weeping;
Rahel weeping for her children
Refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
These events are not because God is a mean God, but because man is sinful… God is just, holy, and righteous. He created man, to have a free will, that will ultimately is the reason for these events...
We see from this passage that Joseph flees the wrath of Herod and goes to Egypt… Also the fulfillment of Scripture...
When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
And called my son out of Egypt.
Without the Spirit’s guidance here, this prophecy may have been forever linked to the nation of Israel coming out of captivity. By the Spirit working through Matthew however, we see that it is concerning Christ!
READ: Matthew 2:18-23 This is a prophecy that I cannot take you to its exact quotation… We notice that the Bible says “prophets”. There are many Old Testament links to this place Nazareth or to the word Nazarene but no specific reference. That being said, Christ being called a Nazarene because of Matthew 2:23 is the fulfillment of Scripture!
What aspect did it fulfill? That I believe we can answer using the Scriptures!
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
He is despised and rejected of men;
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
And we hid as it were our faces from him;
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
These are prophecies that bring us beyond His birth, to His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension! These are prophecies that bring us to the book of Acts, the Epistles, nearly 2000 years after they were written, and then they bring us to today...
Closing: Many will celebrate Christmas tomorrow and give no thought concerning Christ. 2 Billion people with celebrate but there will be many who won’t even speak the name Jesus... The world has accepted the holiday, but have rejected the Saviour for which we celebrate. They have accepted the birth of Jesus, they have accepted the good and moral life of Jesus, but have rejected His purpose for coming… And, therefore, have rejected Him altogether...
Jesus was not just a good man who helped people, He is more than a role model, or a religious leader… He is the Saviour… I used the definite article the because there is no other...
Did you know that of all the “religious” leaders out there today, not one of them had a prophecy concerning them before they were born? They were all born sinful men, and they all died sinful men.
Jesus didn’t need a saviour, because He is the Saviour!
The prophecies we looked at today, only scratch the surface. Through His life, He fulfilled over 300 prophecies! With pinpoint accuracy the Bible reveals Him, as much more than just a man, but God!
In chapter 1 of Matthew His geology is the fulfillment of prophecy… He is from the line of Abraham (Gen. 12:3), Isaac (Gen. 26:4), Jacob (Gen. 26:4), Judah (Gen. 49:8-12), Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), and David (Isaiah 9:7).
That’s not all… It was prophesied that
He would enter Jerusalem upon a colt the foal of an ass… (Zech. 9:9) He did it in Matt. 21:4-10
He would be betrayed by His own “familiar friend” (Psalm 41:9)
He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12)
That money would purchase the potter’s field. (Zechariah 11:13)
That God would die, the Messiah of Isreal and Saviour of the world. (Isaiah 53:9-12)
He would die as a criminal, yet doing no wrong. (Isaiah 53:9)
Even the words He spoke on the cross, it was foretold that He would speak them… )Psalm 22:1, 8, 18)
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
We could list many other prophecies and their ending would be the same, that Jesus fulfills them all!
Just over 2000 years ago, God took on human flesh, became a man, made himself of no reputation.
As He stood on trial as criminal, Governor Pontus Pilate asked this question...
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
2000 years ago, Jesus died for the sins of the world. He died for my sins, He died for your sins...
I leave you today with this 2000 year old question...
What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?