OPENING COMMENTS

Part of the Christian life = worshipping God

John 4:19-24 ¹⁹The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²²You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

To help believers worship … certain helps have been developed — fellowship meetings, prayer meetings, Bible studies etc., including “worship calendars”
- - Some use Jewish worship calendar (w/ days like Passover, Unleavened Bread, etc.)
  - Others use Christian worship calendar (w/ days like Christmas, Easter, etc.)
  - Both are acceptable … and may be allowed
    - Romans 14:5-6 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; [a] ~~and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe~~ it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
    - Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
According to the Christian worship calendar, we are about to enter the season of Advent … and this coming Sunday will be the first Sunday of Advent, which, according to the GCI Equipper, is “a season of waiting — we wait for the coming of the Lord.”
The Equipper goes on to say, “Advent focuses on three “comings” — Jesus’ arrival in history as the babe born of the virgin Mary, his glorious return at the end of the age, and his intermediate entrance into and presence in our personal lives by his Spirit. Advent includes looking back and looking forward, looking in wonder at the promises of God from beginning to end. The whole of the Old Testament is the text for Advent.“
In this session, I want to start focusing on the first “coming” of our Lord (which we celebrate during the Christmas season).
So … in this session … I want to look at some prophecies fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.

PROPHECIES FULFILLED BY JESUS CHRIST

As we begin our focus on the first coming of the Christ, let us notice something He said, after His resurrection, prior to His resurrection …

Luke 24:44-45

⁴⁴Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in The Law of Moses and The Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” ⁴⁵And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Jesus was referring to the three sections of the OT as a unit – what the Jews referred to as the Tanakh (or Tanach).
Tanakh is from TNK … where T is for Torah (Law), N is for Neviim (Prophets) and K is for Kethuvim (Writings/Psalms).
Jesus was saying that each section of the OT concerned/was about Him.

In this session, we’ll be looking at what some prophets (neviim) said about the Messiah who was yet to come when they wrote.

THE PROPHECY

Genesis 3:15a And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed ….”

The subject of the prophecy was that THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN OF THE SEED OF A WOMAN.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

Luke 1:30-31,35 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus …. 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 2:4-7 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Matthew 1:20-21, 24-25 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” … 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

THE PROPHECY

Genesis 12:2-3 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The subject of the prophecy was THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN OF THE SEED OF ABRAHAM.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY (a descendant of Abraham) GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Luke 3:23-38 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Romans 9:5

THE PROPHECY

Genesis 17:19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

The subject of the prophecy was THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN OF THE SEED OF ISAAC.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY (a descendant of Isaac) GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Matthew 1:2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. (NKJ)

Luke 3:23-38 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

THE PROPHECY

Numbers 24:17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.

The subject of the prophecy was THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN OF THE SEED OF JACOB.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY (a descendant of Jacob) GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Matthew 1:1-2 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ²Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

Luke 3:23-34 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

- - - the son of Joseph, the son of Heli = the son of Joseph, the “son-in-law” of Heli. Heli was actually Mary’s father. According to Matthew 1:16, Joseph’s father was really Jacob, the son of Matthan.

THE PROPHECY

Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

The subject of the prophecy was THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN OF THE SEED OF JUDAH.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY (a descendant of Judah) GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Luke 3:33-34 … the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

Matthew 1:1-2 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ²Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

THE PROHECY

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The subject of the prophecy was that THE CHRIST WOULD BE A DESCENDANT OF KING DAVID … AND HEIR TO HIS THRONE.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY (a descendant of King David) GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Matthew 1:1-2 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ²Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

Luke 1:31-33 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. ³² “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Romans 1:1:1-3 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God ²which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

THE PROPHECY

Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times….”

The subject of the prophecy was THE TIMING OF THE BIRTH OF THE CHRIST.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN JESUS WAS BORN DURING THE REIGN OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS.

Luke 2:1-2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

- Another understanding of the fulfillment …

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

The subject of the prophecy was THAT THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN OF A VIRGIN.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN MARY (a virgin) GAVE BIRTH TO JESUS.

Luke 1:26-31 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin‘s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25 ¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

²²So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

²⁴Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵and ^[i]did not know her till she had brought forth her^[j] firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

THE PROPHECY

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”

The subject of the prophecy was THAT THE CHRIST WOULD BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM.

THE FULFILLMENT

- The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM.

Luke 2:4-7 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

So far, we’ve looked at 9 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.

So what?

Notice this …

In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, “The chance that any man might have …fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th (10¹⁷). That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.” (one hundred quadrillion)

Stoner suggests that “we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly… Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?” Stoner concludes, “Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man … providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”

Peter Stoner, Science Speaks.

- Re: that pile of silver dollars in Texas …
  - According to Google … Texas has a total area of 268,820 square miles. Jamaica is approximately 4,244 square miles. So Texas is about 63.34 times the size of Jamaica.
  - That means that a pile of silver dollars that would be 2 feet high in Texas would be about 126 feet high in Jamaica … about the height of a 12-storey building.

Again, one may ask, So what?

Consider this …

The probability we looked at (1 in 10¹⁷) is regarding one man fulfilling eight (8) prophecies.
When you realize that Jesus fulfilled about 300 prophecies, then the probability of Jesus fulfilling 300 prophecies becomes mind-boggling.

Here’s another quote for consideration …

Imagine the state of Texas covered entirely with silver dollars, two feet thick. But only one of the coins is marked and then hidden somewhere among the other coins. Now imagine sending a blindfolded man to search throughout the coins until he thinks he’s found the coin that is marked. What are the odds that he will find the correct one?

Some say he could never do that. Others say that he could only if the search was rigged somehow. Still others will say it’s a ludicrous analogy and a waste of time to even think about it. But these are all responses from individuals that do not understand the significance of faith. The answer is that he could find it, if even by chance. Even though his chances are not good. In fact, his chances are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

(Taken from Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell)

That seems like an impossible feat, but yet greater odds than this were overcome when Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled more than 300 prophecies concerning Himself and His life.

And yet the responses are much the same. Some hear and refuse to believe that it was even possible. Others hear and are convinced that the fulfillments were somehow manipulated to accommodate the prophecies. And still others turn a deaf ear completely. Again, all of these responses are from individuals who do not understand the significance of faith. Faith does not imply belief in the impossible, but belief that with God, all things are possible. This includes the fulfillment of each and every word spoken of Jesus Christ, the “red thread” of the Bible.

It was no accident that Jesus happened to be born in Bethlehem. In fact, Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem as the result of a required census of all Judeans. Joseph was from the lineage of David and as such returned to the City of David to participate in the census. And yet the prophet Micah wrote of Bethlehem nearly 700 years before: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) Well, perhaps it was a coincidence.

It also was no accident that Joseph and Mary took young Jesus and escaped to Egypt when King Herod sought to kill all male children in Bethlehem two years and under. After Herod’s death, an angel instructed Joseph in a dream to return to the land of Israel. And yet the prophet Hosea wrote more than 700 years before: “And out of Egypt I called My son.” (Hosea 11:1) Perhaps this was a coincidence, also.

Individually, every prophecy concerning the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ could be looked at as just a mere coincidence. But collectively, they are certainly no coincidence. They are all intricate details woven throughout the fabric of man’s entire existence. Each thread is amazingly and unquestionably significant when seen amidst the entire tapestry that they create.

PROPHECIES FULFILLED BY JESUS AFTER HIS BIRTH

THE PROPHECY

Jeremiah 31:15 Thus says the LORD: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”

The subject of the prophecy was THAT (innocent) DESCENDANTS OF RACHEL WOULD DIE.

THE FULFILLMENT

The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN INNOCENT CHILDREN WERE ORDERED SLAUGHTERED BY HEROD.

Matthew 2:16-18 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

THE PROPHECY

Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

The subject of the prophecy was THAT THE SON OF GOD WOULD BE IN EGYPT AT SOME POINT.

THE FULFILLMENT

The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN JOSEPH, who had fled to Egypt with Jesus and Mary, RETURNED TO ISRAEL WITH JESUS AND MARY.

Matthew 2:14-15 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 40:3-5 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; 5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

The subject of the prophecy was THAT SOMEONE WOULD PREPARE PEOPLE FOR THE MINISTRY OF THE CHRIST.

THE FULFILLMENT

The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN JOHN THE BAPTIST STARTED HIS MINISTRY.

Matthew 3:1-3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’ ”

Luke 1:67, 76 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: … 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,

Matthew 3:1-3

Luke 3:3-6

John 1:19-23 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ‘as the prophet Isaiah said.”

THE PROPHECY

Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.

The subject of the prophecy was THAT SOMEONE WOULD PREPARE PEOPLE FOR THE MINISTRY OF THE CHRIST.

THE FULFILLMENT

The prophecy was fulfilled WHEN JOHN THE BAPTIST STARTED HIS MINISTRY.

Luke 7:24-27 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 “This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’

PROPHECIES FULFILLED BY JESUS AFTER HIS BAPTISM

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 2:7 “I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’.”

The subject of the prophecy was THAT THE CHRIST WOULD BE DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF GOD.

THE FULFILLMENT

The prophecy was fulfilled AT THE TIME OF JESUS’ BAPTISM.

Matthew 3:16-17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 9:1-2

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 4:13-17

Mark 1:13-15

Luke 4:13-14

THE PROPHECY

Deuteronomy 18:15

THE FULFILLMENT

Luke 24:19

John 7:38-40

Acts 3:20-22

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 42:1-4

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 12:15-21

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 61:1-2

THE FULFILLMENT

Luke 4:16-21

Luke 6:17-19

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:3

THE FULFILLMENT

John 1:10-11

John 7:5

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 110:4

THE FULFILLMENT

Hebrews 5:5-6

THE PROPHECY

Zechariah 9:9

THE FULFILLMENT

John 12:1, 12-13

Mark 11:7-11

Matthew 27:37

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 41:9

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 26:21-23, 25

Luke 22:4-6

John 13:2

John 13:18

Luke 22:47-48

THE PROPHECY

Zechariah 11:12-13

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 26:14-16

Matthew 27:5-7

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 35:11

THE FULFILLMENT

Mark 14:55-59

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:7

THE FULFILLMENT

Mark 15:3-5

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 50:6

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 26:65-68

Mark 15:15-20

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 35:19

THE FULFILLMENT

John 15:24-25

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:5

THE FULFILLMENT

Luke 23:13-15

John 19:4-6

Romans 5:6-8

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:6

THE FULFILLMENT

Mark 15:34-37

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:12a

THE FULFILLMENT

Luke 23:44-46

2 Corinthians5:21

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:12b

THE FULFILLMENT

Mark 15:27-28

THE PROPHECY

Zechariah 12:10

THE FULFILLMENT

John 19:34

John 20:26-28

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 22:7-8

THE FULFILLMENT

Luke 23:34-37

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 69:21

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 27:33-34

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 109:4

THE FULFILLMENT

Luke 23:33-34

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 22:18

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 27:35

THE PROPHECY

Genesis 3:15b

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 27:50-53

John 19:30

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 34:20

THE FULFILLMENT

John 19:31-37

THE PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:9

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 27:57-60

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 16:10

THE FULFILLMENT

Matthew 28:1-6

Acts 2:22-27

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 49:15

THE FULFILLMENT

Mark 16:5-7

THE PROPHECY

Psalm 68:18

THE FULFILLMENT

Mark 16:19

Luke 24:50-51

Acts 1:9-11

Luke 24:44-45

44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecies

Jesus Christ Fulfilled More than 300 Old Testament Prophecies Concerning Himself

(Taken from Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell)

That seems like an impossible feat, but yet greater odds than this were overcome when Jesus Christ Himself fulfilled more than 300 prophecies concerning Himself and His life.

Peter Stoner, in his book, Science Speaks, states that coincidence can be completely ruled out by the science of probability. Of this science of probability, Stoner says of eight prophecies that “we find that the chance that any man might have lived and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.” Now maybe that seems possible. Not completely unlikely. But for one man to fulfill 48 prophecies, Stoner says the chances are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.”

That’s 1 in 10¹⁵⁵.

Jesus was a very purposeful and divinely ordained foundation to the very existence of mankind. He was not an accident. His life was not subject to mere chance. And the fulfillment words spoken of Him were not a shot in the dark that simply got lucky. Peter Stoner said it well when he came to the conclusion that “it should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident.” God did not make that option available. Written by: Amy Miller

From ShareFaith.com

Odds of Christ Fulfilling Prophecy

The focus of this topic is to look at the probability of Christ fulfilling the prophecies in the Old Testament.

So, what is probability? Probability, also known as “odds“, is a branch of mathmematics that measures the likelihood that a given event will occur. To begin, let’s look at some interesting “odds”:

Being struck by lightning in a year = 7 x 10⁵ or 1 in 700,000
Being killed by lightning in a year = 2 x 10⁶ or 1 in 2,000,000
Becoming president = 1 x 10⁷ or 1 in 10,000,000
A meteorite landing on your house = 1.8 x 10¹⁴ or 1 in 180,000,000,000,000
You will eventually die = 1 in 1

As you can see, the probability of being struck or killed by lightning, becoming president, or having a meteorite land on your house, progressively increases, given the event; however, someone somewhere will be that 1 in 10^x, and that someone could be you.

Now, let’s look at one of the most amazing probablity studies to be conducted. Dr. John Stoner, author of Science Speaks, applied the principle of probablity, which states that if the chance of one thing happening is “1 in M”, and the chance of another independent thing happening is “1 in N”, then the chance that they shall both happen is “1 in M x N”, as it pertains to fulfillment of Biblical prophecies.

The Bible is full of prophecies, either events that have happened or events that will happen in the future. In Science Speaks, Dr. Stoner looks at the probability that one man, Jesus Christ, could have fulfilled even 8 of the 300 prophecies that pertain to Him in the Bible. Let’s look at these eight prophecies from the Old Testament pertaining to Christ, their fulfillment by Christ in the New Testament, the probability of one man fulfilling each prophecy, and the sum of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies. Keep in mind, the time span between the prophecies of the Old Testament and the New Testament fulfillment is hundreds, even thousands of years.

Mathematical Probability that Jesus is the Christ

Long-time listeners know that, in addition to broadcasting this program, I pastor a tiny church, manage a computer bulletin board and a national conference on the network, called BIBLE BELIEVERS.

Most of our programs, feature current comments from the BBS; often questions and answers. I’d like share a message from the InterNET by David Williams, Computer Systems Manager, for the Mathematics Faculty, at the University of Newcastle.

I think you’ll find this edifying. Now remember, David Williams is a mathematician. In this post he’s responding to a Jewish user from Melbourne. His subject is: Jesus and Prophecy. Here’s what he says:-

“In a recent followup to a posting by Leslie Brown I said I’d make a post detailing the probability of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecy by chance. Here it is!

The reason why prophecy is an indication of the divine authorship of the Scriptures, and hence a testimony to the trustworthiness of the Message of the Scriptures, is because of the minute probability of fulfillment.

Anyone can make predictions. Having those prophecies fulfilled is vastly different. In fact, the more statements made about the future, and the more the detail, then the less likely the precise fulfillment will be.

For example, what’s the likelihood of a person predicting today the exact city in which the birth of a future leader would take place, well into the 21st century? This is indeed what the prophet Micah did 700 years before the Messiah. Further, what is the likelihood of predicting the precise manner of death that a new, unknown religious leader would experience, a thousand years from now – a manner of death presently unknown, and to remain unknown for hundreds of years? Yet, this is what David did in 1000 B.C.

Again, what is the likelihood of predicting the specific date of the appearance of some great future leader, hundreds of years in advance? This is what Daniel did, 530 years before Christ.

If one were to conceive 50 specific prophecies about a person in the future, whom one would never meet, just what’s the likelihood that this person will fulfill all 50 of the predictions? How much less would this likelihood be if 25 of these predictions were about what other people would do to him, and were completely beyond his control?

For example, how does someone “arrange” to be born in a specific family?

How does one “arrange” to be born in a specified city, in which their parents don’t actually live? How does one “arrange” their own death – and specifically by crucifixion, with two others, and then “arrange” to have their executioners gamble for His clothing (John 16:19; Psalms 22:18)? How does one “arrange” to be betrayed in advance? How does one “arrange” to have the executioners carry out the regular practice of breaking the legs of the two victims on either side, but not their own? Finally, how does one “arrange” to be God? How does one escape from a grave and appear to people after having been killed?

Indeed, it may be possible for someone to fake one or two of the Messianic prophecies, but it would be impossible for any one person to arrange and fulfill all of these prophecies.

John Ankerberg relates the true story of how governments use prearranged identification signs to identify correct agents:

David Greenglass was a World War II traitor. He gave atomic secrets to the Russians and then fled to Mexico after the war. His conspirators arranged to help him by planning a meeting with the secretary of the Russian ambassador in Mexico City. Proper identification for both parties became vital. Greenglass was to identify himself with six prearranged signs. These instructions had been given to both the secretary and Greenglass so there would be no possibility of making a mistake. They were: (1) once in Mexico City, Greenglass was to write a note to the secretary, signing his name as “I. JACKSON”; (2) after three days he was to go to the Plaza de Colon in Mexico City and (3) stand before the statue of Columbus, (4) with his middle finger placed in a guide book. In addition, (5) when he was approached, he was to say it was a magnificent statue and that he was from Oklahoma. (6) The secretary was to then give him a passport.

These six prearranged signs worked. Why? With six identifying characteristics it was impossible for the secretary not to identify Greenglass as the proper contact (John Ankerberg, John Weldon and Walter Kaiser, “The Case for Jesus The Messiah”, Melbourne: Pacific College Study Series, 1994, 17-18).

How true, then, it must be that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, if he had 456 identifying characteristics well in advance, and fulfilled them all! I n fact, what does the science of probability make of this?

The science of probability attempts to determine the chance that a given event will occur. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been well established beyond doubt – for example, insurance rates are fixed according to statistical probabilities.

Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, Peter Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. The estimates were worked out by twelve different classes representing some 600 university students.

The students carefully weighed all the factors, discussed each prophecy at length, and examined the various circumstances which might indicate that men had conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy. They made their estimates conservative enough so that there was finally unanimous agreement even among the most skeptical students.

However Professor Stoner then took their estimates, and made them even more conservative. He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own estimates to see if his conclusions were more than fair. Finally, he submitted his figures for review to a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation. Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented (Peter Stoner, Science Speaks, Chicago: Moody Press, 1969, 4).

For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where it states the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, Stoner and his students determined the average population of BETHLEHEM from the time of Micah to the present; then they divided it by the average population of the earth during the same period.

They concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was one in 300,000, (or one in 2.8 x 10^5 – rounded),

After examining only eight different prophecies (Idem, 106), they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was one in 10^17.

To illustrate how large the number 10^17 IS (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner gave this illustration :

If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They’ll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would’ve had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom (Idem, 106-107).

In financial terms, is there anyone who would not invest in a financial venture if the chance of failure were only one in 10^17? This is the kind of sure investment we’re offered by God for faith in His Messiah.

From these figures, Professor Stoner, concludes the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of the prophecies (Idem, 107) – the likelihood of mere chance is only one in 10^17!

Another way of saying this is that any person who minimizes or ignores the significance of the biblical identifying signs concerning the Messiah would be foolish.

But, of course, there are many more than eight prophecies. In another calculation, Stoner used 48 prophecies (Idem, 109) (even though he could have used Edersheim’s 456), and arrived at the extremely conservative estimate that the probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is the incredible number 10^157. In fact, if anybody can find someone, living or dead, other than Jesus, who can fulfill only half of the predictions concerning the Messiah given in the book “Messiah in Both Testaments” by Fred J. Meldau, the Christian Victory Publishing Company is ready to give a ONE thousand dollar reward! As apologist Josh McDowell says, “There are a lot of men in the universities that could use some extra cash!” (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, California: Campus Crusade for Christ, 175).

How large is the number one in 10^157? That number, 10^157, contains 157 zeros! Stoner gives an illustration of this number using electrons. Electrons are very small objects. They’re smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10^15 of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long (Stoner, op. cit, 109).

With this introduction, let’s go back to our chance of one in 10^157. Let’s suppose that we’re taking this number of electrons, marking one, and thoroughly stirring it into the whole mass, then blindfolding a man and letting him try to find the right one. What chance has he of finding the right one? What kind of a pile will this number of electrons make? They make an inconceivably large volume.

This is the result from considering a mere 48 prophecies. Obviously, the probability that 456 prophecies would be fulfilled in one man by chance is vastly smaller. According to Emile Borel, once one goes past one chance in 10^50, the probabilities are so small that it is impossible to think that they will ever occur (Ankerberg et. al., op. cit., 21).

As Stoner concludes, ‘Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world (Stoner, op. cit., 112).’

God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ that even mathematicians and statisticians, who were without faith, had to acknowledge that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ. our thanks to David Williams, a mathematician who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last century, a lecturer on Russian literature, Carlyle, Emerson, Tolstoy and others discovered the amazing mathematical design in the Bible, firstly in the Greek, and later in Hebrew. He found that the Bible is divisible by seven in 56 DIFFERENT ways. This was Ivan Panin, author of ‘God’s Amazing Seal’, the ‘Numerical Bible’ and ‘The Inspiration of the Scriptures Scientifically Demonstrated‘.

Applying the same criteria to the books of other religions, Panin proclaimed ‘No order at all; and not of God’. He discovered that everything in God’s creation: animal, vegetable, or mineral, has a unique mathematical signature.

Yes, sir, God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ the unbeliever will be speechless at the judgment. But Jesus Christ was sent to Israel at the end of their dispensation, when their denominations were apostate. And God is no respecter of persons. He promised to reveal and vindicate Jesus Christ to us Gentiles at the end of our dispensation, when our denominations are apostate.

God never leaves Himself without a witness. Jesus said, ‘As it was in the days of Lot, so will it be when the Son of man is revealed’ by the same Sign which vindicated Him to be Messiah in the days of His flesh.

Now, in the days of Lot, the Gentile civilization was in a Sodom condition. Homosexuality was rampant. Before God sent Fire from heaven which destroyed them, He sent three witnesses to those who claimed to be His Own. Two went and preached to Lot’s group, the nominal, worldly church down in Sodom.

Our Gentile civilization is in a Sodom condition. God’s sent two witnesses to the nominal church of the world: a Billy Graham and Oral Roberts. The world knows about it. By the great ministry of these God-given men, He’s shaken the nations. They performed no miracles. Only blinded a few eyes. Preaching the Gospel blinds the unbeliever.

But, remember, the word ‘CHURCH’ means, “called out.” Abraham had separated himself from all that. The third One stayed behind and talked with Abraham, who called Him ‘LORD’. That was God. Read your Bible; Abraham called Him, capital, “L-O-R-D”, Elohim, “Lord God.” Abraham fed Him the meat of a calf, milk of a cow, butter, and cakes. He ate it. And He was Elohim.

He stayed with the elect Church. He never went down to the church in Sodom; He came to the called out, the elected church: Abraham.

He was a stranger. And while He was talking, He said, ‘Abraham’. Now, remember, He NEVER called him Abram. Just a few days before that, his name had been changed from Abram to Abraham. He said, “Abraham, where is Sarah (not Sarai, Sarah, her new name – which had been changed just a few days before)? Where is Sarah, thy wife?”

He was God, veiled behind the flesh of a created Man, and He proved He was the Word by discerning the thoughts and intents of Abraham and Sarah’s heart. That’s the Messianic Sign.

God veiled Himself behind the virgin-born flesh of Jesus Christ and discerned the thoughts and intents of the people’s hearts to vindicate that in him dwelt the fullness of the godhead bodily.

You’ll remember, Jesus told Peter his name – and the name of his father. When Jesus discerned Nathanael’s heart, Nathanael called Him ‘Elohim’ … Lord. So did the little prostitute at the well, when Jesus told her all about herself.

Jesus said this would repeat in our day, just before God destroys all life by Fire from heaven. In this day He veiled Himself behind the flesh of a sinner saved by grace, revealing ‘Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, and today, and forever’ – discerning the thoughts and intents of people’s hearts around and around the world, before congregations of up to 500,000; healing the sick, restoring sight, raising the dead, and casting out demons.

This is the last Sign promised to the Gentiles. And God vindicated His Word in the ministry of the late William Branham. His ministry restored the apostolic faith, finished the mystery of God, and is now calling the wise and foolish virgin out of Babylon; bringing His elect into oneness with the word and maturity for the manifestation of the Sons of God and the translation.

God vindicates His Word so thoroughly, and not in a secret place. Will you search the Scriptures to recognize YOUR day and ITS Message.

http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/radio034.htm

Messianic prophecies

“Messiah” means “Anointed One”

Biblical prophecy specialists Peter and Paul LaLonde have noted that:

The Old Testament includes about sixty different prophecies, with more than 300 references, of the coming of the Messiah. It was through the fulfillment of these prophecies that Israel was told she would be able to recognize the true Messiah when He came. The four gospels record several times when Jesus said that He was fulfilling a prophecy of the Old Testament. Luke 24:27 records, for example, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” And verse 44 notes, “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and the prophets and the psalms, concerning me.”

[Peter and Paul LaLonde, 301 Startling Proofs & Prophecies (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada: Prophecy Partners, Inc., 1996).]

Jesus Christ himself said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46, NKJV). Likewise, Christ’s disciples taught that He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (e.g., Acts 3:18; 17:2-3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Old Testament Prophecy	New Testament Fulfillment	Probability
Christ to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)	And Herod asked where Christ had been born … they answered Bethlehem (Matt 2:4-6)	2.8 x 10⁵ or 1 in 280,000
Forerunner of Christ (Malachi 3:1)	John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ (Mark 1:2-8)	1 x 10³ or 1 in 1,000
Christ to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Zech 9:9)	Christ enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Matt 21:4-11)	1 x 10² or 1 in 100
Christ to be betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9)	Judas betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:21)	1 x 10³ or 1 in 1,000
Christ to be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:12)	Judas sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matt 26:15)	1 x 10³ or 1 in 1,000
30 pieces of silver casted down and used to buy a potter’s field (Zech 11:13)	30 pieces of silver used to buy a potter’s field (Matt 27:3-10)	1 x 10⁵ or 1 in 100,000
Although innocent, Christ kept silent when on trial (Isaiah 53:7)	Jesus kept silent when questioned (Mark 14:60-61)	1 x 10³ or 1 in 1,000
Christ crucified (Psalm 22:16)	Jesus was crucified (John 19:17, 18)	1 x 10⁴ or 1 in 10,000

To answer the question what is the probability of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies, the principle of probability is applied. Therefore, multiplying all eight probabilities together (1 times 2.8 x 10⁵ x 10³ x 10² x 10³ x 10³ x 10⁵ x 10³ x 10⁴) gives us 2.8 x 10²⁸, or for simplicity sake, 1 in 10²⁸ or 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Given this and the time span between the writings of the Old Testament and the fulfillment by Christ in the New Testament, the prophecies were either given to the prophets by God, or the prophets just wrote them down as they thought they should be. With Christ fulfilling all eight prophecies, what are the odds the prophets were just guessing?

Taken from the Good News Dispatch website …

http://www.goodnewsdispatch.org/math.html

Friday DIVE – Messianic Prophecies and Jesus | FD20251128

Odds of Christ Fulfilling Prophecy

Mathematical Probability that Jesus is the Christ

Messianic prophecies

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply