Merry Christmas Eve!

Tomorrow is the day that believers all over the world celebrate the birth of the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth on a rescue mission.   I say rescue mission because mankind was in dire need of a Savoir. They were cut off completely from God in the middle of enemy territory and hence were doomed to be captured and imprisoned for all eternity.  But God loved us SO MUCH that He sent His only Son to come and die and rise again so that those who believed on Him would have communication restored with Father God and through His mercy, forgiveness, and grace would, upon death, be taken home to Heaven.

When you think about it, it is truly the greatest story ever told!  How God reached down and rescued mankind. The thing is, He told us He was going to do exactly this years before it happened.

He told us approximately when Jesus would be born in Daniel 9:26 
   And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself .  I don't have time to go into the 62 weeks and the time frame of Daniel here, but it's really fascinating if you want to do research yourself.  Anyway, this puts Jesus's death in in Nisan 14, A.D. 33, which was the day he was crucified.

God told us where Jesus would be born in Bethlehem in Micah 5:2  
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.

Fulfillment

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod . . ." (NIV) Matt. 2:1

God told us Jesus would be born of a virgin in Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Fulfillment

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins . . . His name [is] Immanuel." (NKJV) Matt. 1:20-23.

God told us Jesus would have a forerunner who would go before Him to announce His arrival.  Isaiah 40:3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God

Fulfillment
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD . . ." (NKJV) Matt. 3:1-3 

God told us that related to Jesus's birth, many children would be killed.  Jeremiah 31:15
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."

Fulfillment

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under . . Matt. 2:16-4:1   God told us that at some point Jesus would be in Egypt in Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son Fullfillment Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; Matt 2:13 These are just a few of the many prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus and His life. These prophecies were written hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of years before Jesus ever lived.  So why do I tell you all this?  Because I want you to know that God knows what He's doing! He is on the throne. He is in control and He has a plan!!  Some days you may not feel that way. You might feel as though God has abandoned you. You might feel alone amidst a mountain of problems and surrounded by enemies. People often ask for a sign from God. But God has already given us a sign.  He sent His Son.  The first time Jesus came, He gave us a Cell-phone so we can talk with God and an instruction manual so we could find our way around enemy territory and live lives of victory, not defeat.   The second time He's coming, He's coming to get us and bring us home!   And I think that time is soon!  If you think these prophecies are cool, come back next week when I list some of the hundreds that predict Jesus's second coming.  I hope that thought brings you hope this Christmas.  Read your instruction manual (Bible), give God a call, and enjoy your day tomorrow with family and friends as you celebrate the birth of our Savior!