Prophecies Made – Christmas – Promises Kept
Crossroads: Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God
On Valley Radio This Weekend, Dec. 14-15
Words of Wisdom
“Out of you, Bethlehem, shall come forth unto Me the One who is to be ruler of Israel, whose coming forth is from ancient days.” (Micah5:2)
“The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name ‘Emmanuel’”. (Isaiah 7:14)
“I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
The Joy of Christmas
It’s the best day of the year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with bright lights, beautiful music, delicious food, great fellowship with family and friends, and with wonder and rejoicing as we enjoy again the greatest story ever told.
It’s a time to consider how God could become man in the flesh and live with us here on earth, fully man and fully God?
And in a nation like ours today which has become so sharply divided, Jesus’ birth is an opportunity for us to rejoice together over His coming. It is also a time to review who He is, why He came, and why it matters that He turned the world upside down.
The Long Prophetic Road to Bethlehem
And that’s our mission at the Crossroads this Christmas season as we take a look behind the curtain of history to when and how this great story unfolded with ancient prophecies made and promises fulfilled.
A Savior: However, even before any of these prophecies were made there was a promise that God would send a Savior to crush the head of evil. It was the head of the serpent that had brought sin into the world when it persuaded Adam and Eve to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. That prophecy referred to Jesus and came some 4,000 years before He was born. (Genesis 3:15)
A Virgin Birth: Many Old Testament prophets then followed with frequent references to Jesus coming into the world. For example, Isaiah said that God would give a clear sign of His birth, that “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son to be called mmanuel”, which means “God with us”. (Isaiah 7:14) He made that prophesy some 700 years before Jesus’ birth!
A Ruler: He also prophesied that the child would sit on the throne of David and rule over His kingdom with justice, that the government would be on His shoulders, that He would be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Bethlehem: As noted above, the prophet Micah also made a very specific prophecy that Jesus would be born not in Jerusalem, as might be expected, but in the little town of Bethlehem. That too was made more than 700 years before Jesus’ birth.
Numerous other prophets like Jeremiah and Hosea also rebuked the people of their sins and challenged them to return to God – a clear need for a Savior who would provide a way of salvation for them, just as God would be providing with the birth of Jesus.
Life and Death: Malachi was the last of these prophets to warn the people of God’s pending judgment and destruction if they did not return to Him. However, he also promised that the Sun of Righteousness would arrive with healing in His wings for those who feared Him. That was about 400 years prior to Jesus’ birth, followed by 400 years of silence. Nothing more. (Malachi 4:1-
All told, there were some 300 prophecies throughout the Old Testament that referred to the coming of a Savior, all of which were fulfilled. The odds of that happening by the same person for even eight of these prophecies are statistically nil, not to mention all 30 of them.
At the same time, many of these prophets also rebuked the people for their sins and warned them of God’s punishment if they did not return to Him, a prophetic reminder of their need of a Savior.
The People’s Response
The Choice: The prophets presented the people with a very clear choice. Turn from your sins and your worship of idols and obey God and His commands.
Indifference: As indicated, these prophecies came at a time when the people were turning their backs on God and on His prophets and instead continuing to pursue their many sins. They were largely indifferent to the prophetic judgements.
Disbelief: Moreover, they were unlikely to believe that God would literally come to be with them in the flesh or that any human being could be God. That was then, between two and four thousand years ago.
Our Call Today
America: Our situation is little different from that of the people in Israel and Judah before the birth of Christ. We can either accept God’s offer of salvation made possible by Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, or we can reject Him as our Lord and Savior. There is no in-between. We can see Him as a Liar, a Lunatic, or our Lord. However, the Biblical prophecies about Jesus and their fulfillment are evidence that God does not lie. He means what He says and He keeps His promises.
And that is why we celebrate this Christmas season. Jesus’ birth turned the whole world upside down, so even our calendar is divided into A.D. and B.C., marking the years before and after His birth.
“Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ”
If you would like to do further study on this long prophetic road to Bethlehem, or if you still have questions about Jesus, or about the Biblical account of His birth, or about our need for a Savior, Rita recommends the book by Pastor Tim Keller which is titled above.
It helps to see the Christmas story as proof to the world that God keeps His promises. When he says something is going to happen, we can be sure that it will happen as He says.
Therefore, just as He promised the birth of a Savior, and kept that promise, He has in the same way promised that we can enjoy eternal life with Him if we confess our sins and believe on Him for our Salvation. If we refuse, we cannot enjoy that eternal life with Him. It is a clear promise, and it will happen as He says. (Romans 10:9 -13)
Crossroads at Christmas: Where Faith and Culture Meet
For more on all of this, please join Rita Peters and me this weekend as we continue to explore the prophetic road to Bethlehem and the greatest story ever told about the birth and life of Christ.
It will air on WBTX (1470 AM and 102.1 FM) Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by WSVA (550 AM and 92.1 FM) at 8:30, and ESPN at (1360 AM and 106.9 FM) at 9:00. You can also listen online by clicking on the Crossroad’s menu shown on our home page at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Crossroads is entirely listener supported, and we deeply appreciate your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support of these programs. If you would like to help, please send your check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803. All donations are tax-deductible.
We also want to thank our generous sponsors at Blue Ridge Chimney Services; Blessings Christian Bookstore; Sonshine Ministries with Christian Radio; Wishing Well Florists and Travel Services, and our good friends at New Beginnings Church and Garber’s Church of the Brethren in Harrisonburg.
From Dean, on behalf of the Crossroads Team,
With Our Best Wishes for a Happy, Christ-Centered celebration of Christmas and throughout the New Year!
Yes, Working and Walking Together, We Too Can Make a Difference, for God and Country!