Three Christmas Prophecies That Point to Jesus

As a family, we aim to incorporate age-appropriate lessons about the Christian faith each day. Throughout, Advent we revisit the wonderful Christmas story and the good news that it brings by incorporating fun nativity crafts, seasonal devotional books, and videos. From our family discussions, we wanted to share three Old Testament prophecies and the corresponding scriptures that point to the birth and coming of the Messiah, Jesus. We pray that you take time this Advent season and beyond to reflect on the life-changing message of the gospel.

1. A descendent of a specific lineage

Prophecy:

Through Abraham (Abram):

Genesis 12:1-3
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Then through Abraham’s son, Issac:

Genesis 17:19
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Then through Jacob (Israel):

Genesis 28:14
Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

Then through Judah:

Genesis 49:10
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belong shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

Scepter means: “a symbol of authority that represents: God’s rule, The supremacy of the Lord’s justice, and The coming Messiah who will rule the nations.”

Then through David and his offspring:

Psalms 89:3-4
3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’”

Fulfilment:

Matthew confirms this lineage in (Matthew 1:1-17) while Luke confirms this lineage in (Luke 3:23-38). The two Gospel writers trace the descendants of Jesus through the prophesied ancestors differently but arrive at the same conclusion. Justifying that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews were awaiting.

Read more about the genealogy of Jesus and the potential reasons for these differences’
Bible Project | Family Search | Stand For Reason

2. A baby would be born of a virgin

Prophecy:

Isaiah 7:14 
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6-7
6 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. 7 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.

Fulfillment:

Luke 1:34-35
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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 1:22-23
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

3. The Messiah will come from Bethlehem Ephrathah

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.

Fulfilment:

Matthew 2:3-6:
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

*Bethlehem Ephrathah, which is also referred to as Bethlehem in Judah, is to distinguish it from other locations named Bethlehem, such as Bethlehem in Galilee. This distinction specified the Messiah’s place of birth.