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While leading a teen small group recently, a 10th grader mentioned a graph she had seen floating around social media illustrating all the connections between different parts of the Bible. It visually demonstrated how a passage in the New Testament referenced a verse in the Old Testament, and how a prophecy announced by an Old Testament prophet was fulfilled by something Jesus did while He was on earth. For her, seeing all the ways that the Bible was tied together made it clear it was all part of one big story. And she’s right!
The incredible metanarrative of Scripture spans from the beginning of time outlined in Genesis, all the way to the depiction of what is yet to come in the book of Revelation. One of the most beautiful things is does is tell the story of Jesus throughout, starting well before He came to earth as a baby.
Here are some facts about the Bible:
- It is comprised of 66 books.
- There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
- It was written by approximately 40 men of all walks of life and vocations.
- It was authored over the span of 1500 years.
- It contains at least 300 Messianic Prophecies (with some scholars like Barton Payne suggesting there are 574!).
So, what are Messianic Prophecies? They are prophecies in the Old Testament that specifically refer to the arrival and attributes of the coming Savior and Messiah. God often spoke through His prophets about a coming Messiah, giving specifics about how and where He would be born, things that would happen during His lifetime, and even specific details about His death. While some of these are “not yet” prophecies, and will be fulfilled during end time events, there are many that we see already laid out in the New Testament. Let’s take a look at just one of those prophecies.
A Messianic Prophecy – The Sign of Immanuel
“Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: ‘Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’ And he said, ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’” (Isaiah 7:10-14)
Right after we read the moving account of the prophet Isaiah telling the Lord, “Here I am! Send me,” in Isaiah 6:8, we find God sending him to speak to Ahaz, King of Judah. Within their conversation, Isaiah tells Ahaz that the Lord Himself will give a sign, that Immanuel – “God with us” – would be born of a virgin. The Lord is letting him know that someone who would be called “God with us” is coming, and here is a way to recognize Him, so be in anticipation of His arrival.
Let’s jump over to see what the New Testament says:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:18-23)
Not only was it a miracle that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, but this supernatural occurrence was foretold 700 years before through the prophet Isaiah. The author Matthew was clear to reference the specific Messianic prophecy to make sure this fact isn’t missed, even though most of his audience, the Jews, would have already been very familiar with these prophecies.
Again, this is only one of several hundred messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament. The way God wrote His beautiful story throughout 66 books, over 1500 years, through the voices of around 40 authors, being unified in its collective message, is truly remarkable. We serve a God who gave us proof through His Word about who He is, in a way that only He would be able to do (2 Peter 1:20-21) so that we could trust His authority and rest in Him. Messianic prophecies give us assurance that Jesus is who He says He is. From both a scholarly and personal perspective – what a wonderful gift!
Go Deeper:
https://jashow.org/articles/who-is-jesus-christ-according-to-matthew/
https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-authors.html
https://www.preceptaustin.org/the_messiah-the_anointed_one
