I. MIRACLE OF PROPHECY	IV. CHARACTERISTICS
II. BIRTH OF JESUS	V. IN JERUSALEM
III. BEGINNINGS	BACK TO LESSON 1
	AHEAD TO LESSON 3

I. PROPHECY AND FULFILLMENT ARE MIRACLES THAT YOU CAN INVESTIGATE.

Isaiah 48:3,6,7 I [God] foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass...you have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.'

Luke 24:44-47 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

In the Old Testament the coming Savior is predicted and awaited with patient faith. In the New Testament the Savior appears and is proclaimed to the nations, so that they might have salvation through faith in Him. There are several hundred Old Testament passages which give details about the Savior. By studying these references we will see that just One Man in all history has fulfilled them: Jesus of Nazareth.

Many people say to themselves, "If God would only perform a miracle right before my eyes, then I would trust Him and follow Him." But did you know that every fulfilled prophecy of the Bible is a miracle which testifies to the existence of the living God? In this lesson you will have set right before your eyes dozens of such prophecy-miracles which will give you a firm and vital faith in God. No other religion has prophesies of the future like those in the Bible. You won't find them in Hinduism, nor Buddhism, nor Islam, nor any other religion practiced on the face of the earth.

Today there are self-proclaimed 'prophets' who make predictions regarding events that might occur in the next few months or years. Often their prognostications appear in tabloid magazines, especially at New Years. But these people do not really know the future, for quite often they are mistaken. The tabloid magazines choose not to report their many glaring failures. In contrast, the Biblical prophets spoke about events that would happen hundreds of years in the future, and they have all come true. Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet, lived around 450-400 B.C. Thus there is a lapse of at least four centuries between the prophecies and their fulfillment, and in most cases the time gap is much longer.

1 Peter 1:10,11 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

2 Corinthians 1:19,20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ.

How could the prophets of Israel make such accurate, long-range predictions? Only because these distant events were revealed to them by God the Holy Spirit, who knows the future. In His wisdom, God caused the prophets to record details of the coming Savior. Then God fulfilled those details in the person of His Son. In this way, the Christian faith is shown to be true and worthy of our trust.

As you study the evidence of the prophecies, may your questioning mind be convinced by the proof they provide, so that you might place all your confidence and hope for eternal life in Jesus Christ, the Fulfiller of God's promises.

II. THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

The following Scriptures reveal many facts about the unique arrival of Jesus Christ in this world.

PROPHECY

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (700 B.C.)

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Luke 1:30-35 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The Angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Matthew l:20-23 (N.T. No. 1) Read it in your Bible.

The Savior was to be born of a virgin. While there are fictional accounts of virgin births in world literature, Jesus Christ is the only historical person to be born in this miraculous manner.

PROPHECY

Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Luke 2:6,7,11 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David....While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn...."Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Micah foretold that the Savior was to be born in Bethlehem, the hometown of King David. And that is exactly where Jesus was born. Think of all the towns in the world. Though there are hundreds of thousands, God pinpoints in which one the Savior will be born. And He does so 700 years before the event.

PROPHECY

Psalms 72:10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. (950 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 2:1,2,11 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." ...On coming to his house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

As was prophesied, men from the East came to worship Him and give Him gifts. The coming Savior was sent not just for the Jews but for all peoples. However, the most intriguing point is the identity of this child who was to come into the world. Micah says that his "origins are from of old, from ancient times." Isaiah is even more specific. His name or title will be Immanuel, which means "God with us." According to Isaiah, the Savior will also be referred to as "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." These prophecies make clear that the Savior will be not just a human being but also God. The Jews were awaiting the arrival of God Himself to save them from sin and death.

III. THE BEGINNING OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY.

About the events between Jesus' birth and the commencement of his ministry at age thirty, God the Holy Spirit chose to give us no details, except for the episode recorded in Luke 2:41-52. This lack of information need not bother us, because in the Gospels we have enough details about Christ to occupy our study and interest for a lifetime. There are false teachers and false religions which claim to have secret knowledge about what Christ did during these years. If you should meet such a person, you can be assured that his teachings have no basis in the Bible and should be rejected as falsehood. (See 2 Timothy 4:2-4)

A. Preceded by a messenger.

PROPHECY

Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. (700 B.C.)

Malachi 3:1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty. (400 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Mark 1:2-4,7 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins....And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie."

Isaiah and Malachi predicted that God would send a special messenger before the Savior to prepare the people for His arrival. In the four centuries before Christ, God chose not to appoint any prophets. Finally, after this long dramatic pause, God sent the messenger He had promised. His name was John the Baptist. John the Baptist should not be confused with the Apostle John who wrote the Gospel of John. They are two separate people. If you would like to know more about John the Baptist, read Luke chapter 1 and chapter 3, verses 1 to 20.

B. The Baptism of Jesus.

PROPHECY

Psalms 2:7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. (1000 B.C.)

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and or power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Mark 1:9-11 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Acts 10:37-38 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached--how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Jesus' public ministry began with His baptism by John. When Jesus was baptized, the other members of the Holy Trinity demonstrated their involvement in His mission to save mankind from their sins. God the Father pronounced His full endorsement and support of Jesus' ministry. God the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, thus indicating that all that the Savior would do on the earth would be done by the Spirit's direction and power.

C. Where He would begin His ministry?

PROPHECY

Isaiah 9:1-2 In the past he [God] humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 4:13-14 Leaving Nazareth, he [Jesus] went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulon and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah.

The prophet Isaiah indicates in which part of the land of Israel the Messiah would begin His Ministry. He describes it as a region of darkness. We too live in a land inhabited by the darkness of sin, injustice, and death. May the light of Christ shine upon us as well.

IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY.

A. He performed miracles of compassion.

PROPHECY

Isaiah 35:5,6 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and steams in the desert. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 9:35-36 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

As had been foretold, the Savior demonstrated superhuman powers. The Gospels report dozens of specific miracles which Jesus performed. Jesus did not help people just to draw attention to Himself. Rather He was motivated by an overwhelming love for others.

B. Though a humble man, He spoke with the authority of God.

PROPHECY

Isaiah 53:2 He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (700 B.C.)

Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. (1400 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Luke 9:58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

John 1:17-18 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Christ did not have any of the typical marks of greatness such as wealth, splendor, or good looks. He did not even have a place to call His own. Nevertheless He was the one God had appointed to reveal "grace and truth" to the world. His words were the greatest ever spoken. Jesus called all men to recognize His authority. He claimed that His words were so critical that their acceptance meant life and their rejection meant destruction. No one should hear Christ's claims and react with a 'ho hum.' His teachings must be accepted as either the highest truths or the grandest lies of all history.

C. He preached Good News.

PROPHECY

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 5:3,6 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

The Good News is offered to all freely in order to satisfy the longing of their hearts.

PROPHECY

Isaiah 55:l-3,6,7 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David....Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (700 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 6:35,40 "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty....For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!' And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

The best part of the Good News of Jesus Christ is that it is offered to everyone freely. We cannot earn forgiveness or eternal life with our good works, for we are too tainted with sin. Rather God forgives us freely through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no charge. No bill will be sent later. It is all a free gift which the merciful God wants to bestow on all who will repent and trust in His Son Jesus.

V. HIS MINISTRY IN JERUSALEM.

A. Entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.

PROPHECY

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (515 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

Mark 11:7-9 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

The prophet Zechariah had foretold that the king of the Jews would enter the city of Jerusalem in triumph. However instead of riding on a war charger, the King would be mounted on a simple beast of burden as a symbol of his humility and peaceful reign. On the day that we know as Palm Sunday Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled this prophecy to the letter.

B. The cleansing of the temple.

PROPHECY

Psalms 69:9 Zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. (1000 B.C.)

Malachi 3:1-2 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. (400 B.C.)

FULFILLMENT

John 2:14-17 In the temple courts he [Jesus] found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

Mark 11:15-18 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

The prophets predicted that the Savior would be zealous for pure and unadulterated worship. He would enter into His temple to root out all false religion and put in its place a form of worship which would attract all nations by its purity and honesty. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled this prophecy at the beginning of His ministry when He drove from the temple whose who had made worship into a business. This event is recorded in John 2:14-17. Later, at the end of His ministry Jesus drove these people out of the temple again (Mark 11:15-18). His zeal for the house of the Lord and for pure worship led to opposition from the religious hierarchy. These leaders made plans to liquidate Jesus, the troublemaker.

BRIDGE TO LESSON THREE

The plot thickens. What will happen to Jesus? What more do the prophecies foretell? The answers follow in Lesson 3: Behold, the Suffering Hero.

© 1989 Philip M. Bickel

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.