Untitled Sermon (2)

(CSB) Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

Isaiah 745 to 685 has two predictions about the birth of the coming Messiah

(CSB) Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

(CSB) 6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

(CSB) Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.

(CSB) Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.

(CSB)

Jews were returning to their homeland under Medo Persia Rule 538 BC

Rebuilding of Temple 536 BC and completed in 515 BC

Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem around 445 BC

Malachi 425 was the last prophet to speak and then God goes silent to the nation of Israel.

During those silent years I want to give you some facts about what happened.

In 332 BC Alexander conquers Jerusalem

Still under Greek rule From 175 to 164 they were ruled by a mad man named Antiochus Epiphanes but the Jews called him Epimanes, meaning mad man. He came into their temple. Stopped the worship of God brought in the worship of Zeus there. One day he fulfilled part of the prophecy in Daniel by coming into the temple killing a sew and throwing the blood of that sew everywhere creating a descecration of the Temple. If you know anything about jewish culture you know they considerered pigs as unclean.

Finally in 63 BC Rome had conquered Jerusalem

So for over 600 years the Jews had been living under the rule of someone else and for many parts of it were treated horrible and persecuted.

These people were looking for hope. They despised Rome and wanted to be free from Rome. In their minds they new a Messiah would one day come and that brought them hope.

Now here is our story

(CSB)

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end." 34 Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

35 The angel replied to her: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," said Mary. "May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel left her.

I. Why is their Hope

A. God’s promises are not necessarily immediate but they are sure

B. God’s plan is often clear but unfortunately missed

2. Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling the amount of prophecies Jesus did in his life time are staggering. Mathematicians put it this way:

1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies: 1 in 100 Quadrillion, 1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power 1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: Only Jesus!

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B. God’s plan is often clear but unfortunately missed

C. God’s purpose was to rescue through Jesus

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C. God’s purpose was to rescue through Jesus

(CSB) 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 What the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law's requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

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