Christmas: The Epiphany预览

Christmas - It’s all about Jesus!

Truly, His birth is the heartbeat of the season, prompting a crucial question - Where does God initiate this divine narrative?

Just as trailers precede a blockbuster, God unveiled biblical prophecies preceding Jesus’ birth, answering why, what, where, when, who, and how - extraordinary revelations!

In Genesis 3:15, Jesus' humanity is revealed after mankind's disobedience. Unfazed, God reveals a redemptive plan where the woman’s offspring will crush the serpent's head, symbolising victory for all God’s children. Centuries later, Joseph is instructed to name the child Jesus - signifying that He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

From the wonder of the virgin birth to establishing the Saviour’s unending reign, the prophecies show God’s spectacular power. Descending from the lineage of the great Patriarchs - Abraham, Issac and Jacob, and the mighty king David from the chosen tribe of Judah - He would surpass all those in the biblical hall of fame in glory, honour and power. Adorned in attributes of the Father, He would be called Immanuel - God with us. This Messiah, born in Bethlehem, would be the Incarnate God from ‘In the beginning…’

Ponder for a moment. The meticulous details in these prophecies leave no room for error. The Messiah must fulfil each one.

According to Mathematician Dr. Peter W. Stoner, the odds of even 8 prophecies being fulfilled are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. And there are about 300 of them in total!

It's like a blind man finding the only marked coin in a two feet deep, Texas-sized sea of coins on the first try! Almost impossible. Yet, Jesus fulfilled all prophecies (Matthew 5:17).

“But scripture is unreliable,” objectors claim. However, dating methods and the veracity in prophetic books like Daniel, capturing the Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires, validate its credibility. Details of Jesus' life in the New Testament are verified by non-Christian historians like Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger.

Not only are the objections refuted, but fulfilled prophecies fill us with awe at God's brilliance. This is just the beginning of the Christmas story!

Application questions:

• Reflect on how the fulfilment of the prophecies shape the Christmas story.
• Take a moment to introspect: What significance does it hold for Jesus to descend from the Abrahamic line?
• Surrender yourself in prayer asking God to reveal Himself to you through the prophecies.