* LESSON
* PROPHECIES CONCERNING JESUS’ BIRTH
* HANDOUT
* LESSON: PROPHECIES CONCERNING JESUS’ BIRTH
Bible Memory Verse:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” Isaiah 9:6
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? WHAT DO WE DO TO GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS? (send cards, buy gifts, put up a tree, bake special food)
Some people start getting ready for Christmas quite awhile ahead of time. That’s what God did. He spent thousands of years getting ready for when Jesus would be born.
Many years before Jesus was born, God told us that Jesus would be born.
He told the serpent who had caused Adam and Eve to sin that Someone would come to save the world from sin: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal” Genesis 3:15 “Enmity” means “the feeling that enemies have toward each other, hostility or hatred” World Book Dictionary.
There would be hatred between the offspring or descendents of the woman and the descendents of the snake (Satan).
In death by crucifixion, the way Jesus died, a person bruises his heal because he has to lift himself up by his heal in order to breathe. Satan would bruise the heal of the woman’s offspring, Jesus, but Jesus would crush the head or destroy Satan.
This was the first prophecy in the Bible about Jesus.
A prophecy is a telling about something before it happens. A prophecy from God always comes true because God knows everything.
God told us through His prophets that Jesus would come. Prophets are people to whom God gives a message. They are to tell others what God has said. The messages God told His prophets are written in the Bible.
God’s prophet, Isaiah, wrote about Jesus several hundred years before He was born: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given (God’s own Son would be given to us and He was to be born as a child) and the government will be on his shoulders (he will become king) and he will be called Wonderful Counselor (someone who can help with our problems–we can ask Jesus to help us when we are in trouble), Mighty God, Everlasting (He has lived forever and will live forever; He always was and always will be) Father, Prince of Peace (when God sets up His kingdom there will be peace on earth, right now there is peace is the hearts of those that believe in Jesus).” Isaiah 9:6
God told Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, from which of his Jesus would be born. “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” Genesis 49:10 It was from his son, Judah.
God’s prophet, Micah, wrote where Jesus would be born. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE JESUS WAS BORN? Micah wrote, “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 old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 It was from the town where King David was born.
God told us through His prophet, Daniel, when Jesus would be born. People that really studied the Bible could have figured out almost exactly when Jesus would be born. “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing…” Daniel 9:25-26 Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey the exact day it was foretold that He would. That day was seven sevens and sixty-two sevens from the issuing of the decree to store and rebuild Jerusalem.
For a long time (400 years) there were no prophecies or visions or appearances of angels recorded or written about. Then, suddenly, things began to happen.
First an angel, a messenger from God, appeared to a priest named Zechariah to tell him that his wife Elizabeth was going to have a baby. He was to be named John who would tell people the Savior of the world, was coming.
God’s prophets Isaiah and Malachi had foretold about John the Baptist who would tell everyone that Jesus was coming: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths in the wilderness a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3
“‘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.” Malachi 3:1
Then an angel came to Mary, who was to be the mother of Jesus, and told her that she was to have a baby. The Father of the baby was to be the Holy Spirit.
Joseph, who was to become the husband of Mary, had a dream where an angel told him that the baby born to Mary would be God’s own Son: “…they will call him ‘Immanuel’–which means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:23
He told Joseph what to name the baby: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus (‘the Lord saves’), because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
God told Joseph that the child born to Mary would be “God with us” and He would save people from their sins.
For many, many years the Jewish people were looking for the promised Messiah. Messiah means “the expected king and deliverer of the Jews.” Unfortunately, most of them did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah when He came. They still do not recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. However, when Jesus comes again, the Jewish people will recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
The Bible gives over twice as many prophecies about Jesus second coming than it did for His first coming. We would be wise to study these prophecies to help us to be ready when He comes again.
QUESTIONS:
1. When did God give us the first prophecy that Jesus would come?
2. Which son of Jacob was prophesied to be the ancestor of Jesus?
3. What town was prophesied to be the birthplace of Jesus?
4. What does the Bible prophesy about John the Baptist?
5. What did Joseph learn about Jesus through dreams?
6. Do the Jewish recognize Jesus as the Messiah?
* PROPHECIES CONCERNING JESUS’ BIRTH:
First Prophecy:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal” Genesis 3:15
Which Family:
“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” Genesis 49:10
That Jesus would rule forever:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:2-8
Where:
“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 old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2
When:
“Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing…” Daniel 9:25-26
John the Baptist:
“A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths in the wilderness a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3
“‘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.” Malachi 3:1
That Jesus was God and that He would save people from sin:
“He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.” Psalm 130:8
“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.” Isaiah 7:14
“”…you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
“…they will call him ‘Immanuel’–which means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:23
Slaughter:
“This is what the Lord says: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15
Flight to Egypt:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” Hosea 11:1
Growing Up In Nazareth:
“and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’” Matthew 2:23
PROPHECY CONCERNING JESUS’ BIRTH
Bible Memory Verse:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” Isaiah 9:6
Words to choose from: BAPTIST, BETHLEHEM, MANAGER, GOD, FOREVER, ADAM, PROPHETS, ANGEL, DREAM, JUDAH
1. Jesus’ coming was first mentioned when God spoke to __ __ __ __ and Eve.
2. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ are people that hear from God and speak His words.
3. The prophet Micah foretold that Jesus would be born in the town of __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
4. Jacob’s son __ __ __ __ __ was the ancestor of Jesus.
5. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament many prophecies tell us that the kingdom of Jesus will last
__ __ __ __ __ __ __.
6. John the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ was to come before Jesus and tell others that He was coming.
7. Joseph was told in a __ __ __ __ __ that the child Mary would have was to be named Jesus.
8. Immanuel means “__ __ __ with us.”
9. An __ __ __ __ __ spoke the words of God to Mary and told her she would have a baby.
10. Angels spoke the words of God to the shepherds and told them to find the baby in a __ __ __ __ __ __ __.