THE CHRISTMAS STORY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Dec
20
Written by:
12/20/2009 12:00 AM
THE CHRISTMAS STORY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Dec. 20, 2009
(Isa 9:6 NIV) 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. (Isa 9:7 NIV) 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 and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Every year at our Christmas Eve candlelight service we tell the Christmas story with readings from Mathew and Luke and with Christmas hymns. The Christmas story is also given in the Old Testament. The first clear reference to the Christmas story is given in the third chapter of Genesis. Moses wrote the book of Genesis about 1500 years before Jesus was born. (Gen 3:14 NIV) So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. (Gen 3:15 NIV) 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 heel." The offspring of the serpent is the Devil and his followers and the offspring of the woman is Jesus. Jesus would be struck through his crucification. However, Jesus rose from the dead and is going to crush the Devil, sin and death for the salvation of mankind. The second chapter of Mathew and the second chapter of Luke tell about the birth of Jesus.
In the 7th chapter of Isaiah an amazing sign was given about the virgin birth of Jesus. (Isa 7:1 NIV) When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. (Isa 7:2 NIV) Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. (Isa 7:3 NIV) Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. (Isa 7:4 NIV) Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood--because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. (Isa 7:5 NIV) Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, (Isa 7:6 NIV) "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." (Isa 7:7 NIV) Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'It will not take place, it will not happen, (Isa 7:8 NIV) for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. (Isa 7:9 NIV) The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" (Isa 7:10 NIV) Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, (Isa 7:11 NIV) "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." (Isa 7:12 NIV) But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." (Isa 7:13 NIV) Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? (Isa 7:14 NIV) 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. This prophesy was fulfilled about 750 years later through Mary. (Luke 1:34 NIV) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:35 NIV) 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.
The kings of Israel and Aram had attacked Judah. Ahaz, the King of Judah was told by the prophet Isaiah to trust God for deliverance and was even told to ask God for a miraculous sign. However, Ahaz refused. (Isa 7:12 NIV) But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test." (Isa 7:13 NIV) Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? God gave a miraculous sign anyway. (Isa 7:14 NIV) 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. The birth of a child by a virgin was truly an amazing sign.
In last part of the 9th verse of Chapter 7 there is an important word for all believers. (Isa 7:9 NIV) If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" King Azah did not believe what God said through the prophet Isaiah. Instead of believing what God said he trusted in the Assyrian army.
The birth of Jesus is also clearly prophesied in the 9th chapter of Isaiah. (Isa 9:6 NIV) 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. (Isa 9:7 NIV) 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 and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Only one historical person, Jesus, could fulfill all those titles. Part of the prophesy was fulfilled by the birth of Jesus Christ. The rest of the prophesy will be fulfilled after the second coming of Jesus Christ
The last prophesy I would like to consider in the Old Testament concerning the Christmas story is in Micah. It states the place Jesus would be born. (Micah 5:2 NIV) "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." Jesus was born in Bethlehem at the time of King Herod. When King Herod asked the teachers of the law and chief priests where Jesus would be born they quoted this prophesy which gives the exact location where Jesus would be born. The prophesy is also important as it says Jesus would be ruler over Israel and that his origin was from ancient times. We know from John 1:1 that Jesus was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1 NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Christmas story is clearly written in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament books of Mathew and Luke. What do you think is the possibility that all the above prophesies would be fulfilled in one person? After considering this question over 28 years ago I became a Christian. The Christmas story is truly amazing!