What are the 3 most important biblical prophecies about Christmas everyone should know, cherish and share with others?
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – For many, Christmas is a season of sadness, loneliness, and even depression.
But I pray that’s not the case for you.
I pray that you’re experiencing the hope and peace and comfort that Jesus promised to those who follow Him.
I also pray that you will experience the light of Christ’s love that He offers to all who follow Him, especially amidst the terrible darkness that has fallen on so much of our world today, a world filled with war, terror, crime, violence, poverty, natural disasters, persecution and injustice.
To this end, I believe that now more than ever, we need to know, cherish, and share with others the three most important Messianic prophecies found in the Hebrew Scriptures, the prophecies that were so miraculously and gloriously fulfilled in the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago on that very first Christmas morning.
Why?
Well, first and foremost, because knowing these prophecies helps give us absolute confidence that Yeshua really is the Messiah of whom the Hebrew prophets foretold.
It’s vitally important that we know that Jesus really is exactly who He claimed to be when He said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Second, because when we know these three prophecies, we suddenly know how to explain to family and friends and neighbors that Jesus really is the Promised One.
We can help others understand that Jesus is the very One whom God the Father promised to send into the world to forgive our sins, adopt us into His royal family, and bring us His supernatural comfort and joy and hope and healing – and above all to give us the absolute assurance of spending eternity in heaven with the Lord – if and when we open our hearts to Him and say yes to His free offer of salvation.
This is the Good News of Christmas.
So, let’s look carefully at these three vitally important prophecies.
PROPHECY #1 – THE MESSIAH WILL BE BORN OF A VIRGIN
The ancient Hebrew prophets were crystal clear.
The Messiah would not be a normal person, with a normal birth, or a normal life.
No, sir – the Hebrew prophets told us unmistakably that the Messiah would have a supernatural conception, an extraordinary birth, and a miraculous life.
That’s why God spoke the following through the prophet Isaiah – 700 years before Jesus was born – in Isaiah 7:10-14:
“Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz [king of Judah, grandson of Uzziah], saying, ‘Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!’ Then he said, ‘Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.’”
FULFILLMENT: Luke 1:26-38
This prophecy was dramatically, miraculously fulfilled in the life of Jesus.
Consider this passage from the New Testament.
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 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; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:26-38).
FULFILLMENT: Matthew 1:18-25
Consider, too, this passage from the New Testament.
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25).
So, what are the next two critically important Messianic prophecies that every Christian needs to know – and cherish – and share with others?
Let’s get right to them.
PROPHECY #2: THE MESSIAH WILL BE BORN IN A VERY SPECIFIC LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
I find it fascinating that almost 700 years before Jesus was born, God spoke through the Hebrew prophet Micah to tell us precisely – and I mean precisely – where the Messiah would be born.
The prophecy is found in Micah 5:2-5.
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be Ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity….And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they [the flock] will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.”
Did you know that there are 18 cities of Bethlehem in the U.S. alone?
Worldwide, there are at least 28 Bethlehems in nine different countries.
Even in ancient Israel there were two Bethlehems.
One is just south of Jerusalem.
The other was in the Galilee, just 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) northwest of Nazareth.
Yet, all these places are not candidates for where the Messiah would be born.
The prophet Micah tells us exactly which one the Messiah will be born in: Bethlehem Ephrathah in Judea, the one just south of Jerusalem.
That’s the town where David – the greatest king in the history of ancient Israel – was born.
And that’s exactly the same place where Jesus was born.
FULFILLMENT: Luke 2:1-20
"Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."
FULFILLMENT: Matthew 2:1-12
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.’ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way."
Okay, we’ve covered two vitally important prophecies that were miraculously fulfilled by Jesus on that very first Christmas 2,000 years ago.
So, what is the third Messianic prophecy that everyone needs to know, cherish, and share with others?
I’m so glad you asked.
PROPHECY #3: THE MESSIAH WILL BE BORN A HUMAN BABY BOY BUT WILL ACTUALLY BE GOD HIMSELF
Let’s look at Isaiah 9:2-7.
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them….You shall increase their gladness. They will be glad in Your presence as with the gladness of harvest….For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”
I love this passage of Scripture so much.
Why?
Because, again, 700 years before the birth of Jesus, God speaks through the Hebrew prophet Isaiah and tells us that the Messiah will be:
• A human being
• A baby
• A boy
Jews weren’t supposed to be looking for an angel, a ghost, or an apparition.
They were to look for a baby boy with a supernatural conception and an extraordinary birth.
But that’s not all.
The prophet told us this human baby boy would also be known in Hebrew as “El Gibor,” which is translated “mighty God.”
He also tells us the Messiah would be one and the same with our Eternal Father in heaven.
That’s huge – and to many, especially Jewish people, it’s been confusing.
How could someone be both God and man?
Yet that’s exactly why He needed a supernatural conception.
Isn’t that what God told us in Isaiah 7:14, that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and be known as Immanuel, “God with us”?
And that’s exactly who Jesus was, right?
A human being, born to His mother Mary in Bethlehem.
But not merely a human being – after all, He was able to heal the sick, cast out demons, walk on water, raise the dead, precisely tell us the future, and rise from the dead Himself.
FULFILLMENT: THE APOSTLE JOHN TESTIFIED THAT JESUS WAS BOTH GOD AND MAN – John 1:1-14
Consider this astonishing passage from the New Testament:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John [the Baptizer]. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
FULFILLMENT: THE APOSTLE PETER TESTIFIED THAT JESUS WAS BOTH MAN & GOD – 2 Peter 1:1
Consider, too, several other passages from the New Testament.
“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
FULFILLMENT: THE APOSTLE PAUL TESTIFIED JESUS WAS BOTH MAN & GOD – Titus 2:11-14
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
Time after time, the New Testament affirms that Jesus is both God and man.
The question is: Do you believe it?
And if you do, has Jesus changed your life?
How?
And are you sharing this Good News with others?
THREE POWERFUL CHRISTMAS PROPHECIES
It’s so important that you know, and believe, and cherish these three powerful Messianic prophecies.
Every single one of them was fulfilled by Jesus on that very first Christmas 2,000 years ago.
Whenever I study them, I’m so encouraged because I know I’m not blindly following Jesus.
I know without a doubt that I’m following the One True Messiah that God the Father promised through the prophets would come to rescue me, forgive me, save me, and adopt me into His royal family so that I can live with Him for eternity and not have any fear of death and Hell and eternal darkness.
I’m passionate for you to understand these prophecies, too, so that you can share them with others and help them discover God’s hope and healing and love and joy that they’ve been desperately craving in this world of darkness, sadness, and pain.
May the Lord give you a sweet and peaceful and restful week as you walk with Jesus the Messiah and enjoy this Hanukkah and Christmas season.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
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