Today is Advent Sunday, when we celebrate the first advent or coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth as an infant. Of the Lord’s first advent, the Apostle John wrote, “The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory as of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NIV). I believe, as the Lord Jesus came to live among us at His First Coming, that He will certainly return to us at His Second Advent. To the apostles gathered on the Mount of Olives, the angel said, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11b, NIV).
The candle we lit today is the Prophets’ Candle. The emphasis of that candle is on the prophecies found in the Old Testament about the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a matter of great importance that the birth of Jesus the Messiah was predicted in the Old Testament. In many places and through several prophets, the truth that Israel’s promised Messiah would come is found showing us the omniscience of God, who knows all things, the sovereign omnipotence of God, who alone possesses the power and authority to accomplish His perfect will in historic time and space, and His gracious wisdom in bringing the Lord Jesus into the world at precisely the right time. We would do well to follow the Lord’s counsel when He said, “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:9-10, NIV).
Today we will look at three specific prophecies from two Old Testament prophets. Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries who lived about seven hundred years before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Both lived during turbulent times in Israel’s history. Israel had been split into two separate kingdoms–north and south–for many years. Because of their stubborn and wicked idolatry, the northern kingdom, known as Israel or Samaria, was about to be taken into captivity by the pagan nation of Assyria. Many people from those northern ten tribes would be deported and would never return to the Promised Land.
With the powerful enemy of Assyria so close, the southern kingdom, known as Judah, needed to be reminded that God’s perfect will was being executed even through the difficulties and despite the wickedness of the people. God’s plans would continue undaunted. Those plans included saving His people from their sins and that required the coming to Israel of the Sin-Bearer. Seven centuries before He came, Isaiah and Micah gave signs that predicted Messiah’s coming and would identify Him when He arrived. Mysteriously, when the Messiah came, He would be God Himself living among the very people He had created in the precise land He had promised them. Everything about Him, including His birth, would be miraculous and shining with God’s supernatural power. The fulfillment of these prophecies would prove that Jesus Christ is Israel’s promised Messiah, that He would be the God-man, and that His birth would be the beginning of His mission to save His people from their sins.
Today we will look at the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus from Isaiah’s prophecy, and then at Micah’s prediction that Jesus would be born in the ancestral village of king David, Bethlehem. We will conclude with Isaiah’s prophecy that the child born in Bethlehem would actually be the Mighty God and the Eternal Father. We begin with Isaiah’s prophecy of our Savior’s miraculous birth.
THE SAVIOR’S MIRACULOUS BIRTH. Isaiah 7:14
The Prophecy of Christ’s Virgin Birth. In this verse Isaiah gives a prophecy that has a two-fold fulfillment. Isaiah is God’s prophet to King Ahaz who was Judah’s monarch. He was deceitful, stubborn, defiant and rebellious. When the Lord told him to ask for a sign, Ahaz refused. His sinful ways blinded him to God’s larger picture and he did not understand that this prophecy would have deep implications to the “House of David,” which meant that it had messianic implications. In his refusal, Ahaz was trying God’s patience. Faith shows itself in obedience, but Ahaz’s unbelief showed itself in disobedience. God, “the Lord Himself” then gave the sign of the virgin birth. For many years, critics denied that the original Hebrew text said the word “virgin.” They assumed that it was added later due to Christian influence. That was mostly because the oldest Hebrew text was the Masoretic text that dated only to about 1000 A.D. In 1946, with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, that view was shattered. Virtually the entire book of Isaiah was found intact. Carbon 14 dating showed that the manuscript dated back to about 160 B.C. They found that the text was nearly 100% identical to the Masoretic text. The Hebrew word for “virgin” was actually in this text.
In the immediate fulfillment, to show His sovereign will to Ahaz, who was terrified of his northern neighbors, Israel and Syria, God had a young woman known to Ahaz, and who was a virgin, get married and have a son. Before that child was old enough to tell the difference between right and wrong, God would destroy the Israel-Syrian alliance that troubled Ahaz and Judah. This fulfillment would strengthen the king’s weak faith. But there was a bigger picture and a greater fulfillment.
The Fulfillment of Christ’s Virgin Birth. Of course, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is “God with us”. The virgin birth of Christ is a key doctrine; for if Jesus Christ is not God come in sinless human flesh, then we have no Savior. Jesus had to be born of a virgin, apart from human generation, because He existed before His mother. He was not just born in this world; He came down from heaven into the world. Jesus was sent by the Father and therefore came into the world having a human mother but not a human father.
I am sure you remember that God sent an angel to announce to Mary, a young woman who was a virgin, but who was betrothed to be married to Joseph. Some time later, when it became obvious that Mary was pregnant, Joseph decided to cancel the wedding by divorcing Mary and absolving the marriage contract. But before that could happen, God sent an angel to Joseph to explain what was happening. The angel told Joseph several things. First, the child Mary was carrying was conceived through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. This was God’s design and His perfect will for Mary’s life. Second, she would bear a Son, and He would be given a unique name–Jesus–which in Hebrew, Yeshua–means, “savior,” and as a result “He will save His people from their sins.” Third, this was in direct fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Fourth, when the Child was born, He would actually be “God with us.” The birth of the Lord Jesus was the second and most important fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
I am sure many of you remember Dr. Gary Gromacki from Calvary University, who preached here a few weeks ago and brought with him an authentic Torah scroll written in Hebrew by hand. Dr. Gromacki’s father, Dr. Robert Gromacki, was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and wrote this, “Mary was able to pass on her humanity to Jesus, but she was prevented from transmitting her sinful nature. God the Son–a divine Person with two natures–divine and human. Isaiah’s prophecy declared that the mother of the divine-human Messiah would be a virgin, both at the time of her conception and at the time she delivered the child.”
Interpretation of Biblical Prophecy. How do we know Matthew correctly quoted from Isaiah 7:14, thus proving the supernatural birth of Jesus Christ. Allow me to give you two lines of reasoning that will help with interpreting prophecy. First, we are told in Second Peter 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Peter informs us that both Isaiah and Matthew spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The words they wrote were divine words given directly to them by God. I know Matthew correctly interpreted Isaiah’s words because he was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
There is more. Second, you may remember the words from Luke’s gospel, spoken by the Lord Jesus after His resurrection and before His ascension and given to the apostles (including Matthew). They are found in Luke 24:44-47, “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Clearly, one of the subjects included in the Lord’s lesson was the truth about His miraculous virgin birth. Just as a side note, the Apostle Paul implies the virgin birth in the book of Galatians, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4). I have no doubt that Paul believed in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and preached that truth to his congregations.
O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM. Micah 5:2
The House of Bread. As it still is today, Bethlehem was a small town five to six miles south of Jerusalem in the fertile hill country of Judea. It is nestled between two ridges and located on the main ancient highway from Jerusalem and Egypt. It had been known as Ephrath and Ephrathah. The name “Bethlehem” means “house of bread.” It was near Bethlehem that Jacob’s wife, Rachel, died and was buried. It was the place Ruth met and married Boaz. It was also where their grandson, David, grew up and tended sheep. It was the ancestral home of Joseph.
The Bethlehem Prophecy. Micah speaks about a Ruler who will come from Bethlehem. The rabbis of Jesus’ time understood this verse to refer to the Messiah. The Messiah-Ruler, who will deliver His people, was born in an insignificant, small town where the clans of Judah lived. God, speaking through the prophecy, said this One, who will minister on God’s behalf (for Me), will be Israel’s “Ruler”. The Ruler’s origins (goings forth) are from of old, from days of eternity, thus showing that the Messiah will emerge from eternity past.
As Israel’s Ruler, the Lord Jesus will accomplish several things. First, He will reunite and restore the nation. Since Israel failed to receive Christ during His first advent, this will happen at His Second Coming, when Jesus will establish His kingdom at Jerusalem. At that time, “the remainder of His brethren (Israel) will return to the sons of Israel. Second, He will care for His people and give them security. (Micah 5:4) The Messiah will shepherd His flock. The Lord’s caring, guiding, and protecting role will be accomplished by the Lord’s strength and for His sake. As He shepherds the nation, they will have peace and security because His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. Since He will rule over the entire world, all will know of His sovereign power, which will guarantee Israel’s safety.
The Fulfillment of the Prophecy. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a group of men known as “magi,” who from the east, arrived in Jerusalem searching for the King of the Jews. They had seen His star in the east and had come to worship Him. Their arrival caused quite a stir. The ruler, Herod the Great, called the Jewish leaders together and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. Their answer came from this prophecy in Micah. Herod told the magi where Jesus was to be found and they went to find Him, and He was right where Micah said He would be. Matthew tells us, “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him” (Matthew 2:11).
THE SAVIOR BORN TO RULE. Isaiah 9:6-7
The Savior’s Birth. The prophecy tells us that this Child, a Son, was to be born into the nation of Israel (to us) as one of the covenant people. The tense of the verb emphasizes the historical nature of His birth: it happened at a specific time in a definite place. The focus is on the birth of the child. It is not a conquering king or emperor that comes, but a child. The prophecy rests on the birth of a future Son who will restore Israel and fulfill God’s promises.
It has been God’s design all along that Israel would function as a signpost to identify to true Messiah. He would be a child born in Israel. No one else could fulfill this prophecy. The words “child” and “Son” refer to the two natures of Jesus Christ. In His perfect and sinless humanity, He was born the son of Mary, so that He is qualified as a compassionate High Priest. He is at the same time the Son of God, fully and completely God in every respect. The Son is given by God’s grace for our redemption. Mankind has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. Jesus came at the time He did because of the sovereign choice of God. “In the fullness of time” Jesus Christ came. People did nothing to merit God’s choice and they could do nothing to earn it. The Messiah was given solely by God’s miraculous grace.
The Savior’s Mission. Next, Isaiah answered the question of why the Messiah would come. He would come so that the government will be on His shoulders. As the King, He will be responsible to govern the nation. Not only was the nation of Israel in view, but that the governance of the entire world and its people would be the responsibility of the future Messiah. In Isaiah’s day, Judah’s leaders were incompetent in governing the people. But, the Messiah will govern properly. The child born in Bethlehem is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Savior’s Nature. He will be the Wonderful (this could be translated exceptional or distinguished) Counselor. In this case, wonderful means exactly what it says: full of wonder. The Lord Jesus has done and will do things that excite wonder. He does things that make us say, “Wow!” The word also has the meaning of distinguished. The Lord has the appearance of the most distinguished looking person who has ever lived. He is the Counselor and people will gladly listen to Him as the authoritative One. In the kingdom, many people will be anxious to hear the Messiah teach God’s ways. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He is the revealer of the Father’s will. He is also the Mighty God. The Messiah, Jesus Christ, the child born and the Son given is, always has been, and always will be God. This title means the mighty God of the ages.
The Messiah will also be called the Everlasting Father. Many people are puzzled by this title because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father? First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore, He has all the attributes of God including eternality. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), the Messiah is God. Second, the title, Everlasting Father, is primarily used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity. He is said to be everlasting, just as God (the Father) is called the Ancient of Days. Third, perhaps Isaiah had in mind the promise to David about the foreverness of the kingdom that God promised would come through David’s line. The Messiah, a Descendant of David, will fulfill this promise for which the nation had been waiting.
The Messiah is also called the Prince of Peace, the One who will bring in and maintain the time of millennial peace when the nation will be properly related to the Lord. He will restore and perpetuate peace and harmony, something the world has never seen. He began that process by making peace through His cross, forever settling the hostility between sinners and God. God’s wrath was set aside and now believers have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And, for those who choose to obey God’s truth and live for Him He gives the peace of God that passes all human understanding. Many people want world peace today. World peace cannot be a reality until the Prince of Peace comes to rule. Together, these four titles give a beautiful picture of Messiah’s divine nature.
These powerful prophecies from the ancient prophets Isaiah and Micah illuminate the character and nature of that child born and placed in a manger on Christmas day. We should do more than just celebrate His birth; we should also worship Him. He it is who, years after His birth, bore our sins in His body on Calvary’s cross. Through His mercy and grace, all who come to Him will find complete forgiveness and become immediately adopted into God’s family.
There’s still more. That Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, died on Golgotha, buried in a borrowed tomb has risen again. He is coming again! I hope you are ready to meet the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace. Have you called upon the Lord to save you from your sins? If you have not, I urge you to do that today. He is waiting patiently to give you everlasting life through His grace. Receive Jesus as your Savior today.
