Becoming a Christian Case Maker (Part 2)

"... whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; by which book is meant God's predestination of men to eternal life, or his decree of election; why this is called the "book of life" (Revelations 17:8b KJV)
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One very outstanding and undeniably unique aspect of Jesus’ life is that literally hundreds of detailed predictions and prophecies were made by ancient prophets and seers, many centuries before He was born, including specific details regarding His birth, life, and death.

In the Old Testament, over 300 such predictions about the “Messiah” or “Savior” can be found. The discovery of hundreds of ancient Old Testament manuscripts by archaeologists during this century has proven without a doubt that these prophecies were indeed written before this man called Jesus was born.

In 750 B.C., for example, the prophet Isaiah made the astounding prediction that:

“The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.”3

Seven and a half centuries later, a young virgin girl in Israel named Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would bear a son who would be called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” The books of the Bible which were written after Jesus came to Earth, the New Testament, tell us that, “Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, seeing I have not lain with any man?’ And the angel answered, ‘The Spirit of God shall come upon you, and the power of the Almighty shall overshadow you! Therefore that Holy One which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.’”4

So even the very beginning of His life on Earth—His conception and birth—were not only unique, but miraculous! In fact, the Bible tells us that the news of her pregnancy was so shocking to the young man to whom she was engaged to be married, Joseph, that when he learned about it he promptly decided to break off the engagement and call off the wedding.—Until the angel of the Lord appeared to him also, and instructed him to stay with her and rear and protect the very special child that she was carrying.

A full 800 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah foretold the exact village where the Messiah would be born:

“You, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth unto Me who is to be ruler over Israel; whose goings forth have been of old, from days of eternity.”5

Although His earthly parents lived in the town of Nazareth, 100 miles to the north of Bethlehem, a decree from Rome demanded that all families return to their ancestral homes to register for a worldwide census. The decree came just as Mary’s child was due to be born. Thus God used a Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, to help bring about the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem, and upon their arrival, Mary went into labor, and as the Gospels inform us, “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,”6 just as the prophet Micah predicted.

Another outstanding prophecy regarding the circumstances surrounding the Messiah’s death was made by Israel’s King David around the year 1000 B.C., or over 10 centuries before Jesus was born. In his prophecy, David gave details of a cruel and agonizing death which he himself never suffered:

“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it has melted within me ... Like a pack of dogs, they have surrounded me; a company of evildoers has encircled me. They have pierced my hands and my feet. They divide my clothing among them and cast lots for my garment.”7

1 NIV.
2 NIV.
3 Isaiah 7:14.
4 Luke 1:26–35.
5 Micah 5:2.
6 Matthew 2:1.
7 Psalm 22:14–18.




Anchor TFI