- Prophecy is “History told in advance” Prophecy is an amazing demonstration of God’s infinite wisdom and power. God is capable of foretelling the future with perfect precision. God pinpointed numerous details about the coming Messiah, The Saviour of the world.
- No prophecies foretell details about the birth of other religious leaders: the coming of Muhammad (Islam), Joseph Smith (Mormonism), David Koresh (Branch Davidians), Charles Russell (Jehovah’s Witnesses), Siddhartha Gautama (Buddhism), or any other founder of the world’s religions.
- Matthew And The Birth Of Christ.
Matthew wrote his gospel to a Jewish audience draws his reader’s attention to fulfilled Old Testament Prophecies of Christ’s coming.
In the genealogy recorded in Matthew’s first chapter, we discover the fulfillment of several Old Testament prophecies: Jesus was from the line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3), Isaac (Genesis 26:4), Jacob (Genesis 28:14), Judah (Genesis 49:8–12), Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), and David (Isaiah 9:7).
Matthew points to other prophecies: A virgin shall conceive: Matthew 1:21-25; Isaiah 7:14) After Christ’s birth the magi arrived in Jerusalem. Herod gathered the chief priests and scribes and asked them where the Messiah was going to be born (Matthew 2:3). They responded by citing an Old Testament prophecy pinpointing Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Christ: (Matthew 2:6; Micah 5:2; John 7:42) Herod’s slaughtering the young boys of Bethlehem led to the fulfillment of three more prophecies. First, this tragic massacre fulfilled the words of Jeremiah. Rachel_ Weeping: (Matthew 2:18; Jeremiah 31:15) Out of Egypt have I called my Son. (Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1) He shall be called a “Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23) Nazareth comes from the root word netzer, which means branch, and multiple prophets spoke of the Messiah as the “Branch” (cf. Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12).
II The Gospels Record The Prophecies Fulfilled About the Saviour’s Life.
The Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt (Matthew 21:4–10; Zechariah 9:9) would be betrayed by a friend (John 13:18; Psalm 41:9) Several prophets revealed that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3, cf. Psalm 22:6; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:10). The betrayal would be for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16; Zechariah 11:12). The money would be used to purchase the potter’s field (Matthew 27:3–10; Zechariah 11:13). The Messiah would die a sacrificial death for us (Matthew 27:50; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Daniel 9:26; Isaiah 53:8). He would die with criminals but His burial would be with the wealthy (Matthew 27:57–60; Luke 23:33; Isaiah 53:9). He would rise from the dead (Matthew 28:6; Psalm 16:8–11; Isaiah 53:10). He would say certain words on the cross. He would be mocked, and people would gamble for His clothes (Psalm 22:1, 8, 18).